Here In Your Arms
by hollyhalebforeverlove
Summary: Haunted by his past, tormented by her husband, all Esme wanted was to be loved and have her student Alice be her daughter, all Carlisle wished for was a beautiful woman to fall into his arms & stay with him and his son, Emmett forever. Can they be happily in love or will a powerful force break them apart? When the cruel monster makes his final attack on her, is she broken for good?
1. Flashbacks

**I was planning on starting this in January 2012 but I had already thought up one and a half chapters already, so I thought why wait? Chapter updates will be once in a while until my other two stories are complete!**

**Summary: Matilda with a twist...what about a forbidden love story about the teacher we all know and adore getting together with the doctor from Twilight while avoiding the evil male principal Mr. Evenson? Everyone's heard Matilda's side of the story, but what about Miss Honey's? I thought Esme and the schoolteacher who befriended Matilda were a lot alike. Miss Trunchbull reminded me of Charles, and Matilda resembles Alice. What if Miss Honey had a secret lover? Which brings me back to Esme and Carlisle's hidden romance...here I go with chapter one!**

**Carlisle POV:**

_"Oh, my, Carlisle, you're getting so big!" Mom squealed as she walked in my room while I was undressing. I had just taken my shirt off and was about to take off my pants, but I yanked them back up when I saw her. She was drunk, I could tell._

_"Get out, Mom! Can't you see I'm getting dressed?" I snapped._

_"Oh, dear, I just wanted to see my son. How are you, baby boy?" She staggered closer to me and took my face in her wrinkled hands, aged from years of smoking._

_"Mom, stop it!" I yelled when she kissed my cheek, almost touching my lips. "Damn you, get the fuck out of here!"_

_"When did you start developing?" Her hand moved down to my jeans and she started undoing the zipper. I yanked it off me immediately. She licked her lips. "Mmm, I would love to see that, honey,"_

_"Cut it out!"_

I was plagued by horrible memories. My mother forcing herself on me when I was thirteen. My father beating me with a belt for not following God and becoming a motherfucker. That was his favorite word to call me. He didn't believe me when I told him Mom raped me. She kept her charade of loving mother and wife up until I was fed up and called the police. There was only one good thing about it.

My ten year old son, Emmett.

Emmett was born when I started high school. Mom left us after dropping him in my lap and my father was filled with rage.

_"See what you've done? You're sick, boy! I swear to God! Now, you pray for His forgiveness! This bastard child does not deserve to live!" He pulled out his whip and I took the lashes as calmly as I could. I needed to be strong for the baby boy in my arms._

I was afraid to report the abuse. I hardly had any friends to confide in, because people thought I was an ass. Well, I acted like one until I finally moved out when I got to college. My father was never heard from again, and neither was my mother. It was good riddance to them both.

I assumed my friend, Charlie called the cops when he found huge, red, buckle-shaped welts on my back. I had taken my shirt off in the locker room and he demanded to know what happened to me. I explained the whole story and he saw red. That's how he became a cop.

As for my job, I was in medical school at seventeen. I was now a doctor in Forks and saving lives, particularly victims of child abuse, domestic violence, and rape. I had never grown particularly close to anyone, but I felt their pain.

One of the nurses I worked with now, Lily Hale, was very attached to a fallen soldier by the name of William Hale. Lily and I were the best of friends, because we had suffered through the same thing. Her father molested her nine years ago, and her mother left her black and blue. We were the same age and, when we found each other in medical school, we stuck together like glue. We were really the only ones who understood each other. She had lovely twins named Rosalie and Jasper, and those two were her little miracles. She tried to forget how they were brought into this world and just focused on the fact that she was healing from the rape with her children. She lived with them in an orphanage until she became of legal age. She moved far away from New York, all the way across the country, just to go to college at Washington University.

A kind girl named Bella Swan, who was then twelve, babysat her kids and mine while we worked hard in school. She was Charlie Swan's daughter, and when we met again, he and I reconnected.

_"Carlisle, my man, how are you?"_

_"Great, the bitch is gone, and meet my son," I showed him little Emmett, and Charlie tousled his hair._

_"Hey, big guy!" We both chuckled while Emmett stared up at us adorably. "Dude, I want you to meet my daughter. Bella, come on in,"_

_A brunette with brown eyes the color of her chocolate dark hair walked in the room while holding Rosalie and Jasper in both arms. "Hi, Dad...and-" She looked at me awkwardly._

_"This is Carlisle Cullen, my best friend since we were in diapers. Carlisle, this is my daughter, Bella."_

_"Nice to meet you," I greeted her, shaking her hand when she put Jasper down. She smiled as Emmett and Jasper ran around and played together._

_Lily got home a while later. She enjoyed getting to know Bella, and by the end of the night, they'd exchanged numbers. I assumed Bella thought of her as a mother figure, since her own mom left her and her father for personal reasons. It wasn't that her mother was a bitch, Bella loved her mother, but seven years ago and still to this day, the woman was taking care of a girl much younger than herself. She thought Bella could fend for herself, while this girl couldn't. I knew Bella and her parents were good, kindhearted people. Lily was like a second mother to Bella, and she was mine and Charlie's best friend, almost like a little sister. There was one thing Lily was missing though: true love._

_When Lily met William on the cot, bloody and broken everywhere, she begged me to let him live. He was so wounded, I was afraid he wouldn't survive._

_"You have to save him, Carlisle! You can't let him die!" she cried._

_"I'll do my very best, Lil, I promise you that right now."_

Thankfully, he pulled through. They married recently when he was released from the war. He couldn't participate fully since he was now in a wheelchair. He was paralyzed from the hips down. He was a strong man, and that was why Lily loved him, besides the fact that she thought he was handsome. He was a good man too, and a loving husband and father. Although he was permanently disabled, the love he provided for his wife and kids was boundless. The Hale family seemed perfect and they were right next door to me. Sometimes, I was jealous but I didn't dare let it show.

They were nice enough to invite me and Emmett to join them on their family activities, like picnics in the park or the movies. We Cullens always had fun with them. Besides, Emmett became best friends with Rosalie and Jasper immediately, and since his hormones were starting to come into play, he saw Rosalie as a 'pretty' girl, not just a 'cool' girl.

"Hey, buddy, first day of school, wake up!" I said as I came into his room and shook him. He groaned, ran a hand through his messy brown curls, and rubbed his eyes open.

"School already?"

"Yep. Up, up, up, little guy."

"Aw, Dad...it's seven in the morning!"

"Sorry, Em. It's a rude awakening, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he yawned and rolled over, trying to close his eyes again. I stripped him of his bed sheets and he pouted. "Come on, be cool, Dad!"

I shook my head at my stubborn ten-year-old. "Son, I was cool all summer long. Don't you wanna see Jasper and Rose?"

"Oh yeah, them," he muttered and scrambled out of bed as I laughed. His dimples appeared more prominent on his chubby cheeks when I mentioned his crush and his best friend.

It took him twenty minutes to get ready in black pants and a red button down shirt. There was a new strict dress code for Forks Elementary, which required students and staff to dress nice. I wondered if I should show up there in my doctor's lab coat or a suit and tie. I decided to just come the way I was. I was too tired to think up a good outfit. I made my son his breakfast, Honey Nut Cheerios. I would switch it up, from cereal to oatmeal and toast with peanut butter and cinnamon. Only on the weekends would he get pancakes, waffles, or French toast. That was the way the Hales operated too, so the kids wouldn't whine "but he's having it!" or "She gets some, what about me?" It was a great plan. We as parents worked it out together. I finished his lunch of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich just as he was finishing up upstairs.

Emmett walked downstairs sluggishly and put his school supplies in his backpack. He was too lazy to do it last ate quickly, brushed his teeth the way I taught him to, and put his shoes on. He was all ready to go.

Lily and I carpooled, but being the gentleman I was, I waited until after she made the kids their lunch and sent them off. We would alternate, as we had done every year since the kids were in kindergarten. Will didn't take a turn since he wasn't in the condition to drive. Bella, who had been babysitting the kids for four years and counting, picked them up after school as soon as she could drive. Before she got her license, her dad took them home or they took the bus. At exactly seven-thirty, the two blondes ran out the door. They were the spitting image of their mother, and their father, George, had no part in them whatsoever. Their blue eyes were bright and happy, whereas George's eyes were gray and cold.

"Emmett! Carlisle!" they both shouted in unison. Rosalie threw her arms around Emmett, and he spun her around, since he was big for his age. She too, was tall for her age, but way tinier than him. Jasper was quieter than his sister, but he was excited to see us too. I could tell by the way he smiled and hugged us tight. I noticed Rosalie and Jasper dressed up too. Rose was in a pink flowered dress with white tights and black Mary Janes. Her hair was brushed and put into two very neat braids. As for Jasper, his mother had dressed him in slacks and a blue striped shirt with a stiff collar. Had this school turned into a Bible school? Why did they have to dress so formal? It wasn't the fifties anymore. Still, they looked great.

"Hey, kids, let's go!" I rounded up the troops and we got into the car. I held up both my hands, palms facing the boys, and said, "Hit me, let me see what you got,"

They punched my hands good and hard. I flexed my hands and they apologized for hurting me.

"You boys are strong, you're gonna grow up into powerful young men. As for you, Rose, you are gonna make a man very happy. You kids don't know this now, but later in life, education will make your jobs easier and it'll all be worth it in the end."

"Thanks, Carlisle," Jasper said shyly.

"Dad, you're the best!" Emmett declared.

"Yeah, Carlisle, you're cool," Rosalie complimented me.

"It's no problem, guys. Alright, here's the school. Time to give me a goodbye kiss, Emmett."

"Dad!" Emmett shouted, embarrassed. "In front of my friends?"

"They kiss their mommy and daddy too before school, I'm sure," I rolled my eyes and grabbed him to kiss the top of his head.

"At least you don't have to deal with lipstick kisses," Jasper was telling Emmett as they got out. Rosalie giggled as they skipped to the front of the school.

I drove back home and completed getting ready for my job. Lily was waiting for me on her porch and I would drive us to the hospital. We hugged.

"Good morning, Carlisle."

"Morning, Lily, how are you?"

"Tired," She laughed. "I'm good though, but exhausted. Sometimes I envy my husband. All he does is stack shelves at the local convenience store. He doesn't have to get up until nine or ten."

"Just remember, the work you do is beneficial, and he gets sick of being in that wheelchair...we're all so proud of you, Lil. You're a wonderful nurse. He wouldn't have made it without you. He's a tough guy too, you know."

"Yeah. You helped him, though. I was just your nurse."

"But he fell in love with you. You're the best mother I know. You have a hard job which makes tons of money-"

"Half of what you make, big shot," Lily interrupted me.

I went on. "-and two kids to take care of with assistance from your husband. You made it alone since high school. I had no idea how you got over that, but you did. I still have nightmares of that bitch..." I shook my head in disgust. "That monster and his wife left you once you called the police."

"Carlisle, I still have nightmares. They're rare, like yours, but they remain in my head. I try not to think about it. Sometimes, it gets so bad that I throw up or cry into Will's chest until we both fall asleep. You have it much worse, though...you're alone with Emmett. He has no idea how he was born, right?"

"He wouldn't understand if I told him now. I might tell him when he's older, like Bella's age. What about you, have you spoken to Rosalie and Jasper about it?"

She shook her head no. "I'm scared to. I don't want to face their reactions. I don't want them to fear the world. I want them to embrace it with open arms."

"They were four when Will came into their lives. They must want to know where their father is."

"I told them he went to heaven. I think that's enough information."

"That's what I told Emmett about his mother...maybe we should tell the kids when they're in their late teens, what really happened to us."

"An excellent opportunity would be if they're rebelling against us or going out with a bad guy or girl."

"Great idea, Lily," I praised her. I parked the car and we walked into the doors of the hospital. I let her go in front of me to lead the way.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

We were both in matching white uniforms. She was Nurse Hale and I was Dr. Cullen. Those were our work titles. We couldn't call each other by our first names once we entered our office. We were co-workers and friends at the same time.

"Doctor! Emergency on floor seven," Mrs. Cope reported, and I was busy all of a sudden. Lily followed me and we ran to the elevator.

"Well, she didn't tell us exactly what happened...this is an emergency room," Lily said with a smile. I had to chuckle.

"Are you guys brother and sister?" someone asked. We looked at each other and started laughing.

"No, no, she's my nurse," I explained. "We're good friends, too."

We looked a lot alike, with our golden blonde hair and shining blue eyes. It was no wonder people mistook us as siblings. It was funny in a way.

When we stepped out of the elevator, the paramedics led the way into a room with a woman who was cut up and bruised. A man in a wheelchair was by her side and holding her hand, which was hooked up to an IV. On one side of the room, three teenagers looked very worried.

"Nurse Hale, Dr. Cullen, you're here," Dr. Gerandy looked relieved. "Car accident, the ambulance just dropped them off."

The Native American woman closed her eyes and groaned.

Lily cleaned up the blood and got our patient some bandages. I went to who I guessed was her husband. He looked grave. "I need her name, age, and background," I announced.

"Sarah Black, age forty-five, she has never been in this type of accident before, sir. I'm her husband, Billy, and these are our children, Jacob, Rebecca, and Rachel," he said, gesturing to the twin girls and their younger brother.

"How did this happen?" Lily was still icing Mrs. Black's swollen eye and wrapping her arm in gauze. I still had to see if the other one was broken. It looked like it was in a twisted angle.

"She was driving to work, and her worthless car just skidded on the road and crashed into a tree. She has severe injuries. It was a cheap car and they're gonna talk to the guy who sold it to her, James Brandon. Fucking useless car salesman."

I thought for a second. The Brandons had just moved in. I think they had children, a preteen boy and a little girl, but I couldn't be sure. I didn't pay much attention to neighbors, since I mostly stuck with the Hales. The Brandons were also a very strange family. They simply went to work and came home. Their son went to school on his own. The youngest member of their family...seemed very different. We were curious to know what was up with that family. James was certainly a messed up guy. He tried to get Bella to buy a car from him, but she refused. She said he gave her the creeps. If he laid a hand on her or any other women and young girls I knew, he would be as dead as his cheap cars and I wouldn't bother trying to make him survive.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Black. I will need to check your wife's arm. I think it's broken."

"Oh, great..." He sighed and let me through.

I felt for the break and when she whimpered, I stopped. She had broken her wrist.

"I knew it," she muttered when I told her. "Stupid asshole, I want my money back! I paid a fortune-ten thousand dollars for that piece of junk!"

"I know, baby," Billy said, rubbing her hand softly. "We're taking him to court."

"Thank God-ow!" Sarah squeaked when I placed the cast around her wrist.

"I apologize, ma'am. This will come off in about six weeks or so. You also need stitches..."

"Oh, damn."

I had to stitch up the corner of her mouth. She'd hit her face on the windshield and almost broke her head through the glass. The seatbelt snapped off her immediately. I was so glad I'd never bought my Mercedes from James Brandon. I didn't trust him for some odd reason. Maybe it was because his prices were so overrated and his cars looked in such great shape. The car accidents were becoming more frequent now that he started selling them. This one was the tenth one this week, I'd just realized. The guy drove like a maniac. No wonder I was so suspicious.

After our long day at work, we found Bella playing with our children in Lily's garden. She was even watering the plants and having the kids help her. They looked like they were having a blast. It was getting dark, though. We usually got home around six, but we had to stay extra hours because of a cancer patient who wasn't sure if she would stay on her deathbed. The time of death was seven-forty-five pm. It set our moods already, almost like foreshadowing. I hoped our kids were okay. The thunder and lighting seemed ominous, and the angry clouds darkened over our heads.

"Hey, guys," Bella greeted us in sort of a sad tone. We hugged her.

"What's the matter?" Lily asked.

"They just got home from school. I was so worried something happened to them."

Our eyes widened. "What?" I demanded. "Did someone hurt them?"

"The principal is insane! He made us stay five hours after school to copy the whole dictionary and write three thousand times on the board, 'I will listen to Mr. Evenson!' It was all because I took some of his cake at lunch and he made me eat another piece and then a humungous cake. I started getting sick and everyone cheered for me to finish. We all got in trouble. I hate him!" Emmett yelled.

It didn't seem possible. I raised my eyebrows at Lily and she shrugged. Bella bit her lip and stepped back from us.

"Yeah, and Mommy, he called you a twit and he said I can't wear pigtails to school! But these aren't pigtails, these are braids! Miss Platt, the first grade teacher, braided my hair again. She's really nice, but the principal is so mean! He threw me over the fence by my hair and I landed in some flowers. See my owies?"

"I got the wind knocked out of me when he caught me eating M&M's in class. I don't know why we were wrong! My chest hurts! The school nurse took care of us, but that man has got to go!"

I was frozen, and Lily was shaking. We both bent down to take our children in our arms. "My babies," Lily sobbed as her kids hugged her tightly.

"We have evidence and everything," Emmett protested as I whispered in his hair, "You better be telling us the truth."

We believed them, but we didn't want to.

The three of them were crying. We were going to have a little talk with the cruel man.

**Tell me what you think! I'd love to hear your opinion on my new story! What do you think of Carlisle's past, his relationship with the children, and his friendship with Lily? Also, what would you say about the car accident and what it has to do with the Brandons?**


	2. Evil

**A massive thank you to k8ln713 and idealskeptic for beta'ing this for me, and TheMortician's Daughter and Mirlene Lira for prereading! They're awesome! If anyone else wants to beta and help us out, feel free to include that in your review!**

**Esme POV:**

It was the beginning of my career. I couldn't believe my luck. I had finally gotten my dream occupation. After moving from Ohio, three years of interviews, teaching credentials, and four years of college, I was in heaven at Forks Elementary. The kids loved me and I adored them. I had been there for a whole year. Today was the first day I had to dress up in a long yellow flowered dress, like teachers did in the fifties.

This year, though, we had a new principal who terrorized the school and a new student. I wondered why Mr. Charles Evenson was the principal when he hated children.

So far this morning, he'd thrown one boy out a window of Ms. Renee Bloomingfield's third grade classroom and a little girl came to me in the hallway, tearfully explaining that Charles tossed her carelessly over the fence by her braids and messed up her hair. He used the hammer throw on her, no doubt. I brushed through her hair and repaired the style it was previously in, two cute braids. She really was adorable.

"My name's Rosalie. What's your name?"

"I teach the first grade. My name is Ms. Esme Platt." I shook her hand with a grin.

"I got these for the person who helped me, and you're the lucky winner," she said, smiling and handing me the sunflowers. "I landed in the flowers,"

"Thank you! You did? Are you okay?" Some bruises were forming on her face, but she didn't look to be in a lot of pain. It must have knocked the wind out of her though. I felt bad for both those kids.

"Yeah, but he made me late! Where's my teacher?"

"Come here, sweetheart. What grade are you in?"

"I'm eight. What's a grade?"

"Ummm...a level of school. Like first, second, third...I think you would be in Ms. Bloomingfield's class." I led her to the classroom, opened the door for her, and poked my head inside. I waved at my best friend.

"Hey, Esme," Renee whispered as she came to the door. "Hold on, guys. Now, what happened with..."She gestured to the girl who had just come in.

"That's Rosalie. Where's Charles?" I asked. Charles makes weekly visits to each classroom to evaluate the teachers and their students.

"He just came in to check up on how I was teaching my students. You just missed him. There's so many words I want to say about him. He just threw Jasper out a window for eating M&Ms! I was horrified!"

"He bragged about that to me. Rosalie was just launched over the fence by her braids. He spun her around and let go when she was high in the air,"

"Oh, Jesus..." Renee sighed, shaking her head. "That monster!"

"I really don't like our new principal, but what can we do?"

"Call the cops?"

"It's too outrageous what he's doing... nobody will believe us," I sighed.

"I suppose you're right."

"I'll let you get back to your class."

"Alright, see ya," Renee said, giving me a small wave.

"Bye," I replied.

I walked back to my own classroom and saw a little girl who resembled a pixie standing outside the door. She had black spiky hair and a blue dress with tights and black Mary Janes. She was patiently waiting for me before going into the class.

"Excuse me, ma'am," the girl started. I bent down to her level. "Are you my teacher?"

"Yes. I'm Ms. Esme Platt," I answered.

"Nice to meet you. I'm new here. My name is Alice Brandon."

"Hi, Alice! Come on in... we're starting with math today."

We walked in and I saw my class sitting down politely and drawing on paper. "Sit here, honey, right between Maggie and Bree."

"Thank you, Ms. Platt," Alice murmured.

"No problem. Okay, class, what have you read over the summer?"

They were just learning how to read. Several kids said they read books like _The Babysitters Club._ Otherssaid they enjoyed fairytale books, but only one girl said something that was completely out of the norm.

"I like _Romeo and Juliet._ I've been reading a lot of Shakespeare. He's my favorite," Alice answered.

My mouth was wide open. "Mine too," was all I could say. Then, I moved on.

"It's time for multiplication tables... let's review. Two times two?"

"Four," they recited.

"Excellent! Two times six?"

"Twelve."

"Two times ten?"

"Twenty."

"Very good!" I praised them. "And now for something slightly more challenging... thirteen times fourteen?" I joked, knowing the children wouldn't be able to multiply large numbers until they're in fourth grade.

"A hundred and eighty-two," Alice piped up through the silence.

My heart stopped. _She could multiply large numbers?_ I grabbed a calculator and checked the answer. She was right.

"That's correct," I whispered with a smile.

I was so excited to have a genius in my classroom. After giving the students some classwork to keep themselves busy, I excused myself and went to Charles' office.

I knocked on the door and heard a bang. He was throwing darts at pictures of the kids and one almost hit me when I came in the room. I jumped back and he smirked. The room was dirty and smelly and what he called the Chokey was wide open, with nails sticking out of the walls and wooden door. He'd destroyed this place.

"Esme Platt... is it time for one of our family conversations?"

"Well, not really... it's about a student in my class, Alice Brandon. She's a very bright girl for her can multiply large sums in her head-"

"So can a calculator," Charles snorted.

"-and she's reading material that I learned in my freshman year of high school."

Charles scoffed. "So what?"

"I think she should be moved up a few grades, maybe the fifth grade. She might be less bored in there."

"Ah ha! You want to get rid of her, don't you? You can't handle the little brat!"

"No, no, that's not it at all!" I protested. "Please, just listen to me!" I begged.

"Her father says she's a pain in his ass."

"Well, in reality, she's a very smart girl for her age."

"Nobody cares except for you. Now you pay attention to me, Esme," he snarled and grabbed my arm. He picked up a shot put ball and shook it in my face. "She's staying in your class and being bored with a shit teacher because she's a festering ball of slime, just like you!"

I screamed as he pushed me out the door and then I ran back to my classroom.

All I could do was give Alice advanced homework, so she went home with algebra and geography, sixth grade work. I was so proud of her already. She was way ahead of the game.

Later that day, Charles ruined everyone's lunch by calling the whole school to the auditorium. Apparently a fifth grader named Emmett Cullen had eaten Charles' snack, as if Charles wasn't fat enough, and he got busted. I felt so horrible for him. He almost threw up and got the empty platter smashed over his head! The children encouraged him to finish so he could feel triumphant instead of being embarrassed by Charles, but their punishment was severe and very unfair: Making them stay five hours after school to copy from the dictionary!

"You can't be keeping the kids after school that late. That's just evil. Yes, Emmett ate your cake, but he apologized. That's enough. I need to grade these papers in my office."

"_Your _office? You don't have an office. You'll be going straight home. I'll see you there when I get there," Charles growled.

"But-" I started, but then he seized my arm and roughly forced me out the doors and into the bus.

"Butts are for kicking!" he yelled.

I sat down on the seat with tears in my eyes. Why did I have to be with him? He didn't let me have a car and he lived a few houses down from me. We lived separately so nobody would know my deep, dark secret. I never knew what time he would come to my house and pay me a visit.

I had to beg on my hands and knees for my uncle, who forced me to marry him last year, to let me be a first grade teacher. He agreed to be the principal so he could keep his beady eyes fixed on me at all times, as if I was a child who wreaked havoc on the world. He was a horrible principal, though. He mistreated the children and I wished I could stop it, but I never could.

He mistreated me as well.

I decided to go to Alice's house and speak to her parents. Alice was on the bus as well, so she led me to the bus stop across the street from her home and when we got to her house, I knocked on the door. It opened widely and Alice ran inside, trying to get her mom's attention. Whoever answered the door ignored me completely.

"Where were you, young lady?" a rough voice demanded.

"Mr. Evenson made us stay after school because this boy ate cake," Alice tried to explain.

"Shut up, you lying little earwig! Go to bed!" the man roared. I took a deep breath and pounded on the door this time.

Alice's father opened it for me. I looked up at the man who was staring down at me rudely.

"Mr. Brandon... I'm Alice's teacher, Ms. Platt. I came to talk to you about your daughter."

"Yeah, what do you want?" he grunted. "What about her? She's done something horrible, hasn't she?"

"Not at all. She's very brilliant for a first grader. She's already doing middle school stuff."

"Yeah, right!" He tried to shut the door in my face, but I held it open.

"Mr. Brandon, you shouldn't be a parent if you don't care about your daughter. You need to be delighted by the fact that she is so bright."

"We're watching TV. Get the fuck outta here!"

That did it. I kicked the door open and pushed past him. "You think watching some stupid television is more important than your child?" I glared at him.

"Hold on." He exited the room and I stepped inside.

I took a deep breath while his loud voice yelled, "You!" He pointed at Alice. "Get outta here! Beat it! Victoria, turn off the TV. Some woman's here to talk to us about Alice."

"Aw, but the game's still going! And I haven't finished my beer!"

"Look, Mrs. Brandon," I snapped, turning off the television while they both groaned. "Alice is reading stuff that I learned in high school and she writes like a college student! She can do geometry in her head!"

"You want her to go to college?" the red-headed woman snorted. She and her pony-tailed husband laughed long and loud.

I nodded uncomfortably. Alice's parents were so intimidating.

"You don't get anywhere by going to college! We made different choices, Splatt! All I needed was high school and then we had Riley. We started our life young. And we got along just fine!" Mrs. Brandon continued. "But you, you're all old and shit... you don't even have kids or a husband! Leave our family alone."

"You heard her, get out!" Mr. Brandon practically threw me out so I stumbled on their porch steps. I was forced to walk home in the dark because there were no buses after eight.

I got back to my house after eight thirty. I had to get a quick start on my work, but what Charles did today was stuck in my mind. Shaking my head sadly, I continued to correct the spelling tests I also had the children do, and started to drift out of my thoughts. I heard his heavy footfalls on the steps and prepared myself to make him a drink.

"Pesky little varmints," Charles muttered, slamming the door closed behind him with a cigar in his mouth. "I retire from the bank and I have to resort to this? Fucking worthless job."

"Bad first day of school?" I tried to sound conversational as I got up to pour his whiskey the way he liked it. He slumped in a chair and I placed the bottle in front of him. He spat the cigar in my hand and I threw the disgusting thing in the garbage. His fist pounded on the table.

"I gotta bring the riding crop tomorrow."

I gulped. "Riding crop? You can't use corporal punishment on them. You know you'll get arrested if you use that on those poor babies."

"Babies?" he scoffed. "They're not babies. They're flies on the wall and don't give a damn about respect. Kinda reminds me of you. Besides, I won't actually beat them. It's just to keep 'em in line."

I sighed with relief. "Thank God. As long as you don't hurt them."

He chuckled. "If they're misbehaving, their punishment will be so outrageous that nobody will believe them when they tell their parents. That's how clever I am. You wanna get away with something, do it all the way and further than ever imagined. Understand me loud and clear: they're going to the hospital. As for _you,_ listen to me and listen good. I'm gonna let you continue your little career under one condition. You better understand me when I'm finished."

"Okay."

I looked down at my hands that were folded on the table. Charles grabbed me from behind and roughly pushed me against the wall. He had me trapped and his fingers were tangled in my hair. My breath was shaky as he forced his tongue in my mouth without warning.

"It's been you and me, baby since you were a dreadful five year old tramp. You're my niece and they stuck me with you. I am the only man who can love and lust for you, so therefore, while you were cheerfully chatting with that bastard kid, hugging him, and running your fingers through his curls, I decided to put limits on that behavior."

"Emmett's just barely a teenager! I'm not attracted to him at all. He was just telling me what you did to poor little Rosie because she was too frightened to tell me herself and I was trying to make him feel better after what you put him through! He threw up!"

"Sure, I'll believe that, you little liar. You're a pedophile. That's why you're a teacher."

I shook my head. "Stop it, Uncle Charles!"

"I can't help but be a wee bit jealous... you're so soft and squishy that everyone wants you and I am going to make sure no man ever speaks to you again." He squeezed my arms with powerful force and I groaned in pain.

"Please..." I tried to beg him to cut it out. "I'm not a child."

"You're acting like one, you little snot rag!" he roared, smacking me clear across the face so fast that I didn't know it was coming until I felt it. My cheek was numb and I gasped in shock. He pointed at me. "That's gonna leave a mark. Cover it up with something. And do you see what I did there?"

I slowly shook my head and stared at the ground.

"Of course you didn't. You're so stunned you can't even talk. I struck you into silence. Speed, strength, and powerful thinking. That's what a real bad guy does when he wants to take down his enemy. I hate children and I'm glad I never was one. You, my dear, are special for me because you have a beautiful body and there's nothing in that foolish head of yours," he tapped my forehead with his knuckle. "It's completely empty. All you have are babyish thoughts.

"You think you're gonna be somebody? I'm smart, you're dumb. I'm big, you're small. I'm right, you're wrong. And there's nothing you can do about it. I can mess around with you even though you're not a kid. It's like you're retarded, an adult-child. You like rainbows and flowers and romance novels. Fuck that crap. No wonder you can put up with their bullshit!"

My heart hurt every time he spoke. He was supposed to love me as a niece and take care of me when my parents died twenty years ago, but instead he lusted after me and weakened my ego. I was naïve enough to trust him until he forced me to be his slave. He walked in on me purposely while I was undressing or using the bathroom when I was thirteen, and he raped me when I turned eighteen. I couldn't turn him into the cops because he would insist we were just having sex, even though what he did was incest. He was smart enough to wait until I was legal so he wouldn't get arrested and we both have different last names, so the authorities wouldn't know we're related. Charles' word against mine.

It just wasn't fair! My chin quivered, I started sniffling and the tears trickled and flowed down my stinging cheeks. He was correct. I couldn't do anything right. I was too weak.

"Aww, poor little Esme! You're sad? Oh, I feel _so _bad for you! Your life sucks, right? Wait, was it anything I did? Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" he bellowed, putting his hand to his heart in mock horror. His eyes widened and he took a sharp intake of breath. "Boo fuckity hoo! Life's hard, then you die." His expression turned hard and cold. He thumped his fist on my head, which made me stop crying abruptly. I was now choking on my sobs. "Listen to me, you little whoring bitch, and stop wasting my time!"

I nodded and swallowed my tears.

"Alright, here are the rules. Number one, you may not speak to any men or boys over the age of ten, except for me, of course. Number two, you must stay silent if any guy, except for one of those little pests whom you call the students of Forks Elementary, are in your presence. Number three, you can only speak if spoken to, and avoid eye contact if a man talks to you in any way. Number four, explain that you are married and show your wedding ring. Number five, you may only be in a room with your little lady friends or the swarming rats you like to call children. If a man walks into an area you are in, you must exit it immediately. I couldn't care less if you have to stop something you're working on; you can finish it later. Any questions?"

"No sir," I spoke quietly.

"Good," he said, patting me on the head as if I were a dog. "Now, if you disobey any of my commands, the consequences will be severe."

"What if someone flirts with me?" I wondered aloud.

He cackled. "Who in their right mind would find you so worthy of his time for friendship or affection? Don't even bother me with those kinds of fantasy questions."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, wiping my eyes. "Hold on, you contradicted yourself-why are you jealous if you think nobody wants me?"

"Don't argue with me!" he spat and banged my head against the wall, making it crack slightly behind me. My whole face was throbbing. I was in searing pain.

"I won't."

"Just make me dinner," he snapped.

"Yes, Master."

"And make it snappy. I'm hungry in all ways you can think of." He shoved me forward and slapped me hard on the butt. It nearly knocked the wind out of me. "GO!" he bellowed when I couldn't move. I was frozen for a second.

"Oh!" I gasped, trying to catch my breath. He just snickered and sat on the couch. The TV roared to life and I tried to block out the noise of reality shows.

I stirred the noodles in the pan of boiling hot water and then after eight minutes, I took one out on a spoon and tasted it to see if it was ready. Charles immediately stomped up to me and yanked it out of my hands before my lips could even touch it. I screamed as he plunged my hand into the scalding water, burning me.

"That's what happens when you try to touch my food!" he hollered.

"I-I was just-" I stammered my explanation, but he grasped my arm and growled, "That is not yours to touch or taste. It is my dinner. You get nothing but liver and horseradish! I will test my own meals and if they are not done or if they are overdone, you'll be dead meat!"

"S-sorry," I hissed through the torture he was putting me through. "I just thought-"

"You can't think!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Repeat after me! I'm so stupid."

"I'm so stupid." I squeezed my eyes shut to prevent more tears from coming out.

"I can't do anything right!"

"I c-can't do anything right," I echoed in a much smaller voice and then hiccuped.

"I'm the weakest person in the world, besides the children I teach."

"I- ow!" The burning intensified and there was now a fresh red and purple hand print above my wrist.

"You give me pleasure," he continued.

"You give me-"

"Stop copying me and shut up! I'm finished with you!" he demanded, walking away briskly. I shakily leaned back on the counter for support and then the smoke alarm began ringing. I panicked as I tried to fix the problem. His dinner was burnt.

"Fuck you, Esme! Fuck you to goddamn hell!" he shouted, shaking his fist at me. "You made me get off the couch again! You screw up everything you play around with!"

_So do you,_ I said silently in my head. At least, I thought I did.

"What did you just say to me?"

"Um, nothing."

"You're a brat, that's what you are! I made you into what you are today! I'm your hero! If not for me, you would have been living in a dingy old orphanage all alone!"

The free spirited little girl within me had died when my parents did. My dreams only existed at school and I wanted to live there forever, away from him. My personal devil.

** Chapter one has been reposted, if you wanna leave another review for it anonymously, go right ahead! ****So everyone knows Charles is an ass...thank you to reviewers k8ln713, Just4Me, CarlisleandEsme, RoseEternal, LaurenFacinelli, TheMortician'sDaughter, and that kiwi chick! Reviewers also get a sneak peek of the next chapter! Also for those of you who have added this story to your favorites or alerts, yay! You could leave a review, too. Just sayin...and before I go, I just wanna say I can't wait for Breaking Dawn! THREE MORE DAYS!**


	3. Just One Look

**A giant thank you toidealskeptic and k8ln713for beta'ing this for me, and TheMortician's Daughter and Mirlene Lira for prereading! They're amazing!**

Carlisle POV:

I called the school and asked to speak to the principal first thing Tuesday morning after kissing Emmett goodbye when Lily took the kids. A gruff voice answered, "Sup?"

"Yes, hi, this is _Dr._Carlisle Cullen and I am calling to schedule a meeting as soon as possible."

"Why do I need to meet with a doctor?" he scoffed. "I'm not sick and I don't care if the kids are; it's the parents' jobs to take them to the hospital."

"Because I am Emmett Cullen's father as well. I'd rather discuss this when we both talk together, face to face. My friend and co-worker, Nurse Lily Hale, will be joining me-"

"In holy matrimony?" he mocked me.

I clenched my fist into a tight ball and pounded on a random pile of papers. "Look, I've got no time for sarcasm. If you're a principal, would you at least try to be responsible if you can't be polite?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. How about today after school? I like to solve things quickly. Slowness pisses me off, so you two better be on time."

"We will, sir. See you then."

"Goodbye."

I slammed the phone back into the receiver and paced through the kitchen. How was I going to deal with this bastard?

I couldn't meet with Emmett's teacher yesterday because I had to go to work right away, but we took the day off today since we had to meet with Mr. Evenson and it was a slow day at the hospital anyway. I called Dr. Gerandy and he told me not to worry. He would take over my shift and his nurse, Betty, would do Lily's job. We thanked them profusely and we were glad we had such good friends there. I assumed that, since Lily was taking almost an hour to drive the children to school, she was meeting with her kids' teacher.

She returned after I downed a glass of orange juice, made myself pancakes, and got dressed in plain pants and a blue top. We never saw each other in our pajamas; that would be way too weird. Besides, I don't think her husband would like it.

The doorbell rang and I rushed to get it after doing a quick teeth brushing. "Hey, Lily," I greeted her with a yawn as I opened the door. "Charles Evenson is an idiot, but he agreed to meet with us after school today."

"Well, good morning to you, too, Carlisle. Oh, that's awesome... I can't wait to give him a piece of my mind."

"Me neither. I can't stand child-haters..." I trailed off and shook my head. "So, how was the car ride? Was Emmett a good boy?"

"He was very good. God, I'm so grateful for both him and Jasper. They saved my Rosie's life today."

"Really? How?"

"Rosalie wanted to stick her head out the window, so I let her. I had no idea it was still out there until I rolled up the window and heard her screaming bloody murder. Jasper and Emmett were yelling, 'Mom! Lily! Stop! You're killing her!' I freaked out, naturally, and checked her for any injuries. She just had a slight red mark on her neck, but I was worried as hell. I fail as a mother. I was almost crying and I wouldn't let her go. I carried her into the school, went into the bathroom to fix myself up, and took all three of them to their respective classrooms."

"God, I'm sorry, Lily. I'm glad she's okay now. You don't suck at being a parent because I would have done the same thing if my kid didn't tell me. But I would have also looked behind me and positioned my rear-view mirror where I could see the children."

She sighed. "And that's where I went wrong. I'll remember that next time. On a positive note, though, I met Rosalie and Jasper's teacher. She's so sweet... her name is Ms. Bloomingfield. Rosalie says the last name reminds her of a blooming field of flowers. When I told her my name was Lily and I was Rosalie and Jasper's mom, she laughed and said it was funny that we both had flower names. I couldn't agree with her more. She also told me her name, Renee. I saw her give my children a hug and my heart expanded like five times its size. At least some people appreciate kids and their free spirit. She misses the times when her sixteen year old was a child."

"I'm so happy they have a wonderful teacher. That's very good for them. At least they don't see the principal too much... but I wonder what Emmett's teacher is like."

"I've already met her," Lily grinned. "They got lost on their way to their classrooms yesterday and Ms. Platt, the first grade teacher, led them to their classes. I had to walk them there today, though. I enjoyed it, because hearing kids' chatter makes me smile. Mrs. Carmen Weber, Emmett's teacher, is very nice, just like Renee. She looks a little older than Renee, maybe just by five years. She and Renee both told me I looked way too young to have mid-elementary school children and I thanked them. I laughed and told them they were adopted, but they didn't believe my lie because they look like a young version of me. They even asked me who the lucky man was, but I said that their birth father wasn't in the picture. They looked sad and it was an awkward goodbye. But yeah, they seem nice. Sorry if I'm rambling,"

"It's okay. I could keep up with it. I can't wait to meet them tomorrow."

"Yeah, Carlisle, you really need to get out more... maybe ask Renee out since she's not married? Or any other young female teachers you run into at the school, literally or figuratively."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not gonna run anyone over, don't worry about that. And I'm not dating someone who has a kid that close to my age,"

"Okay, fine, I'll give you that. She looked about thirty something anyway. But I did see a woman in the bathroom who's like in her early twenties. I think she might have been dropping off her little sister or brother. She was doing her makeup and wincing. I noticed a cut down her jawline. At first, I thought it was a hair, and apparently she did, too, because she tried to put the lock behind her ear, but she ended up scratching herself and it bled. She noticed me staring and told me she fell down the stairs.

"I know that was a lie, though. I know an abused woman when I see one. Her black eye was fading and barely there, covered up by her makeup, but I could tell someone punched her by the way she looked pained as she was putting on her eyeshadow and eyeliner. I suggested for her to not press so hard, but she told me she had a sty and it would hurt anyway. Someone hit her, I can tell. She seemed so afraid and innocent."

"It's not your fault, Lil. Some people are such monsters that they hurt women and make them too scared to say anything."

She looked down. "I just wanted to get her some help. I wanted to tell her to leave him, if she is in fact in an abusive relationship."

"Well, what if she can't? She might get killed if she tries running away. She could call the cops... I'll tell you what. If you see this woman again, ask for her name and try making friends with her. That way you won't scare her off when talking about if someone hit her. You can even bring up your past to make it easier for her to share her story with you," I suggested.

"It was such a shame. She looks really nice and seemed it, too, and I would love to make friends with her. I'm not sure if she had a horrible childhood like we did, but... it seems like we would have a lot in common with her," she said sadly.

"Not all of our childhood was horrible. My mother and your father did the crimes when we were thirteen, fourteen... and they ended up in the slammer. We got kids out of it... I bet she had it much worse."

"I agree. We have great families now and our past is behind us. We're so good at hiding it... the signs of abuse aren't even there on us. I didn't even feel the pain; I was drugged. I was still sick around my dad, and you felt queasy with your mom around... but we can be thankful for what we have now."

I nodded. After our conversation, we went out to get Will up and moving.

"Good morning," I said and gave him the two finger wave. He sat up in his bed with Lily's help and waved at us.

"Aw, get over here, Lily," he said, pulling her face to his. They shared a short but sweet kiss and then he was ready to get out of bed.

When he was situated in his chair, Lily sat on his lap and started kissing him. I groaned and turned my head away. "Get a room you two!"

"Outta here, third wheel!" Will pointed to the exit and I playfully gave him the finger. "You fucking need to get laid, man, I'm tellin' ya."

"Yeah, get a girlfriend!" Lily laughed. When she moaned in ecstasy at whatever her husband was doing to her, I ran. I didn't need to see any of that.

Maybe my friends were right. I really did need a woman in my life, and not just a best friend to laugh with, but someone to kiss when I got home from work, someone to hold in my arms, someone to sleep with... and make me forget about the slut who ruined my teenage life. I got so angry when I thought about the woman who was supposed to love me like a son. My father took her side over mine and accused me of raping her. When I went to therapy, my therapist suggested to me to get a punching bag to hang in my room so I could take my frustration out on it. I rushed back home, up the stairs, and beat the shit out of the bag until my fists hurt. Lily didn't have it as hard as I did, because her father knocked her out. She still felt the pain, but it happened nine years ago and we both had healed from it. From time to time, though, we needed to hit something. It made us stronger and able to face anything, which is why we weren't afraid to fight the principal for hurting our precious children. Why anyone would hurt a kid was beyond me. They were defenseless and couldn't harm a fly.

It must have been hours since I first got up on my bed and laid there. Lily came in and woke me up. I hadn't even realized I was conked out. "Oh, sorry, I skipped lunch...what time is it?" I asked her.

"It's like two. What were you thinking about?"

"It's hard to imagine myself as a grandfather." I groaned at the mental image of me as an old man.

"Don't think like that," Lily said with a chuckle. Come on, get some lunch. Will and I already had some."

I lazily rolled off my bed and yawned. "I'm so bored with nothing to do..."

"Which is why you need to get in the dating game. By the way, why didn't you? I mean, in college, I pointed out girls, but you were always like, 'Nah, she's boring!', or 'Nah, she's too ugly!', or 'Eeewww, that woman is a real live Barbie doll! Are you crazy, Lily?' So yeah, you were picky, dude. There's so many fish in the sea! You're getting to be in your mid twenties. These potential girls are gonna become married and pregnant. You know, starting families. You better hurry and grab a girl while you're still young and restless!" she encouraged me.

"Nobody's ever interested me. Sometimes I feel like I'm gonna die old and alone. It scares me. My son will move out and I won't have anyone. Why is there nobody out there for me?"

"Because you've never tried asking anyone out!"

"I didn't want to break anyone's heart, that's why! I don't go out with random girls, you know. If they look plain, I assume their personality is plain. If they're pretty, like you, I consider being their friend and having them as a potential girlfriend. I was going to ask you out, but you loved William."

"What? Really?" she asked doubtfully. "That's odd... I wouldn't have turned you down if I had never met Will. I mean, you're, well... good looking. Ugh! I shouldn't have said that. I'm probably coming off as flirting. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she murmured and covered her face with her hands. "Shit..."

"No, that's okay. Thank you. I don't take it as flirty. You're my best friend. I know you are loyal to Will. I called you pretty, so... I meant pretty as a friend. Honest."

"I know, I know." She was still blushing. There was a long and weird silence between us as I made my lunch. Finally she broke the quiet. "At least we weren't best friends with benefits."

"Oh, God, no," I laughed, and she joined in. "Thank God for that." We cracked up to cover our utter embarrassment.

"Don't you dare ask Will if I'm good in bed," she warned me while holding up a knife and pointing it at my chest.

"I won't, I won't. Hell no!" I backed away to avoid a stabbing in the heart.

"Let's also not get drunk when we're alone together."

"That's a good idea." I exhaled, glad this conversation could end since I was now eating my spaghetti. It was true that I had a crush on her when we met in college, but it disappeared when she fell hard for Will. Sure, I was brokenhearted, but when people kept mistaking us for brother and sister and our kids planned to marry in the future when they played 'wedding', the crush was completely and a hundred percent nonexistent.

I finished my lunch and then we left for the school. Our kids were going to stay in the library until we could drive them home. The ride was silent except for when Lily patted my arm. We smiled fondly at each other and she said, "Don't worry, Carlisle. You'll find her."

"Thanks, Lil."

"Ready to face this pompous ass?"

I nodded. "Fuck yeah."

At once, we got out of the car, closed our doors simultaneously, and marched to the building. As soon as we were inside, a woman walked past us. She had brown hair and blue eyes. It wasn't that she was unattractive. She looked kind, but just not the right kind of woman for me. She looked like one of those ladies who would kill to save someone's life, whether it be her best friend's, a child's, or her parents'. I already was that type of guy. I needed someone who needed me. She didn't look like she needed help from anyone. She looked sure of herself.

"Hey, Renee," Lily called out to her, and the woman turned around to face us directly. She smiled brightly when she saw us.

"Lily! Just the woman I wanted to see. Rosalie was an angel today, and Jasper was a star. They seem to really love school."

"Oh, well I can't blame them! They have a great teacher!"

"Aw, thanks. And who's this guy?" She gestured to me.

"He's my best friend, Carlisle."

"Really? You two look related. For a second there, I thought you were twins, like Jas and Rose. Well, Carlisle, it's a pleasure to meet you," Renee extended her hand out to shake mine.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Ms. Bloomingfield."

"Oh, to hell with that. Call me Renee. Do you have a kid who goes here?"

"Yeah, his name is Emmett. He's in Carmen's class, I think? That's what Lily told me.

"Yep! Mrs. Weber. She's awesome. But call her Carmen or she'll kick your ass. Totally kidding. Anyway, your children are in the library," she let us know. This woman was funny, too. I was glad Rose and Jasper had her.

"Oh, we're not going to the library. We're seeing Mr. Evenson." I replied.

Her soft features hardened. "The principal is a disgusting monster. I hate him because he ruined my best friend's life," she told us harshly. "You won't get through to him. Nobody can. He's a stinking pot of shit. But good luck in there. Don't let him scare you. Just be yourselves and don't take his insults personally."

"Thanks for the advice, Renee," Lily said with a grimace. I, too, was a little frightened because of Renee's warning. This guy seemed dangerous.

"No problem. Later, guys!" She waved to us and we were on our way. My heart was pounding too hard for my liking and I took a deep breath. _Do it for the children, do it for the children, _I thought to myself over and over.

In all my twenty-three, almost twenty-four years, I hadn't met anyone as sadistic as Charles Evenson, the principal of my son's school, with the exception of my parents. I was shocked and angered when I found out that Mr. Evenson accused Emmett of stealing his precious dessert from the kitchen and then as a punishment, made him eat tons of it in front of the entire school. I walked briskly to his office to give him the lecture of a lifetime. Lily was right besides me, wearing a matching expression of fury on her face. She had every right to be mad. That bastard threw her son out a window and spun her daughter around by her pigtails. The nerve of that man!

"I mean, how does he get away with doing that shit?" she asked as her heels clicked on the tile floor.

"I have no idea, Lil, but we're gonna report him if he doesn't clean up his act right now,"

When I opened the door to his office, he turned around and smirked at us. He knew why we were here. "Oh, the doctor and the nurse," he sneered. "The perfect parents, hmm?"

"We're not perfect, but we are decent. Why did you abuse my children? They're not yours to mess with!" Lily exclaimed.

"My son doesn't deserve to be humiliated for his weight in front of his whole school," I added. We sat down briskly.

"Ms. Hale, your daughter was wearing pigtails. Do I allow pigs at my school?"

"Rosalie's not a pig!" Lily yelled, slamming her hand down on the table.

Charles snickered. "And do I like when people eat in class or eat my food?" He glared at us.

"We are both medical experts. If a child is thrown to the ground or in the air at a fast moving pace, they could get seriously injured or die!" I snapped.

"Medical experts my ass," Charles chortled. He kept droning on and on while I rolled my eyes up at the ceiling.

"We could have you arrested," Lily threatened.

"That's true, Charles," a soft voice asserted in the darkness near an empty supply closet. "You need to treat those children with the respect and love they deserve." A caramel colored haired woman came out from the shadows and smiled at us apologetically.

"You're interrupting my meeting. Get outta here! Go on, git!" he snarled at her. When she didn't move, he picked up a wooden rod and slammed it against one of the walls. She jumped, frightened, and exited the room quickly and quietly. I thought I saw her eyes fill with tears.

"Who was that?" I wondered aloud.

"Nobody. Now, on with our discussion. Turn around, doc."

I couldn't concentrate, not when that woman's face was etched into my mind. Her flowing, curly hair, her sad but beautiful green eyes, her gentle, sweet and innocent smile...I suddenly wanted to get to know her personally.

What was her name?

Did she work here?

Did she have kids?

Was I crazy for liking her before even having time alone with her? Or even learning her name?

Her hair was so lush and beautiful; I was imagining myself touching it. I wanted to lift her up and kiss her madly. I wanted to thank the heavens that I finally found someone sexy and sweet with a quiet voice. She was submissive and not as wild or bold in speaking, as I assumed Renee was.

"Just get outta here. You're not even paying attention. As a matter of fact, I forbid you to complain about the way I run my school to me. I can punish the children however I want. You can't sue me or send me to jail because nobody will believe you. Besides, if you whisper one word to anyone about what goes on at this school, I will bomb the building and make it look like an accident, just because I'm that good. I once killed somebody and made it look like a suicide attempt. The police didn't suspect me one bit because I acted sorry and I even faked crying over that bitch. I cut onions as I explained the whole story. You two insignificant fools can't do anything about it because I have so many tricks up my sleeve that it ain't even funny. Do you understand me?"

We both nodded. I saw Lily gulp. Her confidence was melting away. This guy was a complete asshole and we would have to stay away from him and tell our kids to do the same.

"NOW GET OUT OF HERE!" he bellowed. We stood up and opened the door at the same time, trying to beat each other out.

"He's so rude!" I groaned. "And he gets away with being a criminal!"

"Oh my God!" Lily gasped. "I'm never going back in there again!"

"Yeah, come on, let's go." I led her to the library until we heard sobbing. We followed the direction the sound was coming from, and we stopped short.

The young woman from the office was crying against a wall with her arms wrapped around herself. She sank to the floor when she noticed us staring. I knelt down to her level and ignored Lily momentarily. "What's wrong?" I asked, concerned for her.

"Nothing... I-I'm fine," she mumbled through her sobs. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest and looked away from me.

"Are you sure there isn't anything I can do to help you?" I asked, trying to hold her gaze.

"Please... just go, okay? It's... personal," she croaked.

She was shaking so hard when Charles walked by us. He stood in front of her for a second and clapped his hands. She looked up at him and as soon as she blinked, more tears fell out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She bit her lip to try to stop herself and my heart shattered at her pain.

"Didn't I just tell you to leave? Hurry up! You're embarrassing me! I've seen my grandmother move faster than you and she's on her deathbed!"

"I-I'm sorry..." she sniffled. I stood back next to Lily because I had a feeling we shouldn't be a part of this. After he kicked the section of the wall beside her, she struggled to stand.

"Get up!" he barked.

She wiped her eyes and stood all the way up. Then she fled the building, scurrying without looking back.

"I don't know why the fuck you're still here, but do not under any circumstances talk to that stupid slut!" the principal roared and walked away, leaving Lily and I stunned.

We got the children, but I was more out of it than Lily was. She talked animatedly with them but all I could focus on was the pretty brunette in the back of Mr. Evenson's office.

**I'm having a lot of fun writing this! Thanks to reviewers idealskeptic, that kiwi chick, Just4Me, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, kolbow, Milene Lira, k8ln713, and TeamCarlisleandEsme8! I love the support here! Read and review please!**


	4. Gazing from Afar

**A humungous thank you to idealskeptic and k8ln713 for beta'ing this for me, and TheMortician's Daughter for prereading! They're brilliant!**

Esme POV:

I woke up in the worst pain imaginable. Charles took up almost the whole bed and every time he rolled over, his hand smacked my face and I nearly fell on the floor. I think he even scratched me somewhere. I rubbed my eyes open gently so as not to hurt my fading black one. I didn't want to make it worse.

As I was about to get out of bed and make our breakfast and lunches, he dragged me back down next to him. "Where're ya goin?" he asked in a cold, raspy voice, the same one he had since I knew him.

"I-I'm going downstairs, you know, to make our food."

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up, we're leaving in thirty minutes. Wake me up when you're done. I want breakfast in bed."

"Yes, sir," I responded meekly as he pinned me under him. "I-I have to make..." I mumbled, but couldn't go on since his sweaty mouth took mine.

"Get outta here, woman." He shoved me off the bed and I fell on my hands and knees. I crawled to the door and used the handle to help me up to my feet. I ran downstairs and made him pancakes. I made an extra banana chocolate chip one for myself and sneakily devoured it as I made him his lunch of a steak sandwich and chips. I took the heavy plate upstairs after packing our lunches.

"Here's your breakfast, Master." I curtsied and put it into his waiting hands. He didn't even wait for me to give him a fork. He stuffed the whole thing in his mouth, chewed it for fifteen minutes, and swallowed it. I watched him eat and I blinked when he left a messy handprint on my arm.

"Clean yourself up, baby doll," he snickered after he finished wiping his mouth on my pajamas. "I'm done."

I sighed and scrubbed the sticky mess off until it was gone. I hurriedly threw on a long purple dress, grabbed my purse after tossing my makeup in there, and we were ready to go. He honked just as I was putting my shoes on.

"You're a slowpoke. Get in the fucking car," he muttered, and I opened the door and got in next to him. "I am just dashing in a suit and tie, aren't I, pet?" He looked at me expectantly and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Yes, sir."

He started up the car without waiting for me to get my seatbelt on. With a screech of the tires, we were off. He kept looking at himself in the mirror instead of out the windshield, focusing on the other drivers and making sure he stayed in his lane. When his phone rang, he took it out of his pocket and put it up to his ear. "Hello?" He honked at someone who stopped in front of him and the person turned around and gave him the finger.

"We're in traffic, you asshole!" someone shouted.

He swerved a few times, and skidded to a stop when we got to the school. It took a few minutes for my heart to start back up before getting out of the car. We got this close to rolling off a hill and banging into other cars. He was such a terrible driver and he had lots of road rage. I wondered how he even got a license. Maybe he just wanted to put me in danger.

"Later, loser." He slammed the door shut and left me there. I guess I would have to give him his lunch during my lunch with my girls. I unlocked the passenger door and got out. I slung my purse over my shoulder and decided to do my coverup in the bathroom mirror.

"Ow," I said quietly as I tried doing my eyeliner. My eye was still very tender, so I winced.

"Don't press so hard," a voice said from next to me. I looked up at a blonde woman who was dabbing her eyes with a tissue and splashing water on her face. She looked like she was crying earlier.

"Thanks," I answered. "But I have a sty and it would hurt anyway."

I finished applying my makeup, even though it was a painful process. There was one hair that wouldn't move, no matter how many times I tried to put it behind my ear. It started glowing red, and that's when I knew it was a scrape down the side of my face, from my hairline to my jaw. "Ow! Oh, great..." I looked out of the corner of my eye and noticed the woman still staring at me with a worried look on her face. "I, um...fell down the stairs." I hoped that would convince her and she wouldn't ask any more questions. I brushed the concealer over my whole face and rubbed it in.

"Wow... be careful next time," she warned me, but she sounded like she didn't believe my lie.

"Thank you. I will. Well, bye!" I ran out before she could press for more questions. I'm glad she didn't try to find me, because talking about my childhood or my life right now was the last thing I wanted to discuss with a stranger. I returned to my own classroom a few minutes early to set things up. Nothing new was going on in class, just spelling, reading, and arithmetic. I didn't let Alice participate in the class spelling bee because it wouldn't be fair. She knew how to spell words even I didn't know how to spell. She happily kept herself busy with the advanced work I gave her.

Today was uneventful, but at least Charles left me alone until the end of class. I gave him his lunch and walked back out of his office of doom and gloom. Renee and I talked the whole lunch hour in her office. Carmen was supervising the kids outside.

We wound up talking about what my new rules were between bites. She sat in her chair and I faced her with my feet on either side of her on the seat.

"He made you do _what_?" Renee demanded and leaned close to me while propping her chin up in her hands. "You're even forbidden to talk to boys under eighteen?"

I nodded and sniffled. "He got mad that I was comforting Emmett. He was jealous!"

"Oh my God. I would seriously like to take a bullet to his head, but I don't want to wind up in jail."

"I know, Renee. Same here. I'll just do the best I can. I hate being controlled by him. It just makes me wanna..." I let out a big scream that was muffled by my hand.

"Maybe I should bash his head in with a baseball bat and make it look like he killed himself... I mean, it would be the ultimate revenge!"

We both threw our heads back and laughed, long and loud. I enjoyed picturing my best friend using my uncle's head as a baseball. It was the best thing ever to imagine.

Renee and I had been together since birth, my birth that is... no, even before that. Growing up, she had no contact with her dad and she had her very pessimistic mom, Marie. She loved my mom, Anne, more than her own mom. The first time she held me as a newborn baby in her arms when she was thirteen, I grabbed her finger and with her other hand, she stroked my cheek and stopped me from crying. We looked in each other's eyes- an instant connection. I formed an inseparable bond with her.

I got very attached to my babysitter just like she looked up to my mom since she was in seventh grade. I was five when my mom died after my dad, the same day Renee had to leave for college. She was eighteen. I knew she would be gone for six years to become a teacher, what I wanted to be when I grew up. I looked up to her as a big sister, more than a babysitter.

I didn't trust anybody except for Renee, and then later when I got into teaching, Elizabeth, Carmen, Siobhan, and Sue. Those three were in their mid forties, a little older than Renee, and nearly twenty to thirty years older than me. I was the baby of the group. I liked it, though. Those women took care of me like I was their daughter, even though I was in my twenties.

Without warning, I was hit with a flashback.

_I was trapped in another nightmare. The man was running after me, though he looked more like a monster than a man. It was a recurring nightmare though. He haunted all my bad dreams. I would usually call my mommy for help, but she wasn't here. Renee had just put me to bed and now it was in the middle of the night. I wondered if she was still here or if my mommy was back. She was supposed to come home, but when I called her name, she didn't respond. I heard more noises and high pitched screaming. A hooded figure came in my room and my mommy was struggling in his grasp, unable to answer me._

_"This is what happens when you don't give me my niece!"_

_"You won't get anywhere near her," the voice gasped out. "Renee, take care of my baby! I'll let you know if anything is wrong when you're apart from each other!"_

_"Goodbye, Anne!" A clap of thunder sounded and then she lay on the ground unmoving. "The story is she killed herself!"_

_I was still watching the fray with wide eyes. He reached out for me, but then stopped when I heard a thud. He fell down, growled, and I was relieved to see my loving babysitter in the dim light she had turned on beside my bed. She set a baseball bat beside us._

_"NAYNAY!" I shrieked with tears rushing down my cheeks._

_"What's wrong, sweetheart?" She sat up on my bed and gently combed her fingers through my curls._

_"I had a really bad dream! I saw my mommy die!" I wailed._

_"Oh, Ezzie-pie... I'm so sorry..."_

_I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them again. She was still on the floor. "Mommy, get up!"_

_"You woke up when he came in your room," Renee tried to explain to me, but I didn't believe her._

_"You're a liar!" I screamed in her face, instantly regretting it. I pinched myself and it hurt. "No, no!"_

_"Shhh..."_

_"I don't wanna be in an orphanage!"_

_"What if I stayed there with you?"_

_"You're going to co-col-!" I tried to point out, but I couldn't say the whole word._

_"I know, college, but I'll be back soon enough. I wish I could, but my mom won't let me go to one around here. We can still be in contact and call each other," she promised me._

_"Everyone's leaving me!"_

"Esme, snap out of it!"

I pressed my hand to my forehead and let out a shuddering breath while opening my eyes. "I watched him kill my mother... my father died in the war when I was two...you left for college just when _he _killed her! She didn't commit suicide after all... he wanted to get rid of my remaining parent when you had to leave. Do you know why he killed her? What had she ever done to him?"

Renee nodded and rubbed soothing circles on my back. "Yes. I know the exact reason why. She died for you."

"What?" I cocked my head to the side in confusion.

"I remember that night clearly. I was about to leave after putting you to bed. You were only five, so you went to sleep at about nine. Charles broke in the house right after your mom walked in and paid me for the last time. She said she would see me when I came back. As I walked out your door, Charles nearly ran me over and followed your mom up the stairs to your bedroom. A creepy feeling came over me and I was suspicious of his behavior. He was so quiet, and it was spooky when he was like that because nobody knew what he was planning on doing. He'd always wanted you to live with him and when you grew up, he wanted to make you his bride.

"The only way he could do that is by murdering anyone in his way. Well, your mom was protecting you, and I got a baseball bat to clobber him with. I was too late; by the time I got to your bedroom, your mom was dead. I'm so sorry, Esme, but the only one I could save was you... I stopped him from taking you, and I thought he was down when I clonked him on the head, but I guess he's too strong to be killed. He didn't move the whole night, I suppose, until after I left. I slept with you through the night to give you comfort. He was unconscious and I was sure I got him."

"Thanks for trying anyway," I managed to say with a huge lump in my throat.

"I still feel so bad that I wasn't there on time and that I had to go!"

"It wasn't your fault! You had to go to school and get your teaching degree. Don't worry, I'm fine," I reassured her. "Now I know that she didn't commit suicide... now I know she wasn't weak. She's strong, like you..."

"And she's strong like you. Face it, honey, if you were weak, do you think you would have lasted for the past twenty years?"

"No, but I was depressed and I cut myself... and I was about to jump off a cliff," I said glumly. I showed her the scars on the insides of my wrists to remind her.

"Only until you heard me. You wouldn't let me go..." her voice trailed off as I drifted into a memory again.

_Charles was gone. He was at the bank, working late. It was my perfect opportunity to join my parents. I didn't want to leave Renee, but I couldn't handle it anymore. I wanted to die and hope she'd follow me._

_I ran outside, further and further away from my house of nightmares until my legs were tired and my breathing turned to gasps. I had a major cramp in my side when I got to La Push Beach. I was already standing on the rocky edge of the cliffs. I was prepared to jump when I heard a car pull up. A door slammed, and I froze for a second. Shit. He'd found me. "You stupid girl, jump!" I hissed at myself, almost a scream._

_"Esme Anne Platt!" a female voice shouted, and my heart lifted with relief. It wasn't Charles, it was my only friend. I stumbled, trying to get to her, but she pulled me into her arms first. "What the hell?"_

_"I'm sorry," I cried, realizing her eyes were watery as well. Without a word, she kept hugging me and rocking me from side to side. By the time I stopped shaking, her shirt was soaked with my tears. "I want to die! I missed you so much! He was in lust with me ever since you left, Renee... I had to make myself ugly, but the beatings just got worse!"_

_"Shh..." she said calmly. "It's gonna be okay, you're with me now,"_

_"Not for long. He won't let me do anything. I snuck out!" I wailed. "I need to get back or he'll shoot me!"_

_"I'll give you a ride."_

And that's how I met Charlie Swan and their four year old daughter, Bella. They were twenty-three and twenty-four when they had her, and I desperately wanted to live with them, but because of my uncle, I was forbidden to.

"That was when I was fourteen and all alone. I thought you'd left me," I wailed into her shirt.

"No, I would never leave you, never in a million years! My mom wouldn't let me wait for you... I'm sorry," she whispered while hugging me.

"It's over now. It's not that bad," I lied.

"Yes it is. But you're the toughest woman I know. I hear your mom's voice in my head whenever something's wrong, and that's how I knew to save you."

"Amazing," I remarked as the bell rang.

After school, Charles stole me away and ordered me to clean up his office and stay in the Chokey, a wooden closet with nails, glass, and screws sticking out of the door and walls, until his meeting was over. I heard voices arguing with him, but he wasn't listening at all. I checked out what was going on and couldn't believe my eyes.

First off, I recognized the woman from the bathroom. The man next to her, though, was like... _so handsome._ They looked slightly alike, but I knew they weren't related. They seemed more like friends or even a couple. I prayed to God the latter wasn't true. They were both blonde with blue eyes that looked very determined to fight for their kids at this moment. I agreed with what they were scolding my ass of an uncle about, and I voiced my thoughts out loud before I realized what I was saying or doing. I was speaking to the woman, but a man was in the room as well. My feet were moving forward on their own. My brain wasn't connected to my body once I locked eyes with the tempting nameless man.

He looked kind and like he couldn't hurt a fly. My heart fluttered and skipped a few beats the longer he stared at me, not hungrily, but affectionately. The word 'swoon' had no meaning until I noticed the way he gazed into my eyes with... hope, was it?

Adoration?

Longing?

Or maybe it was friendly?

Whatever it was, it was anything but lustful. He checked me out for a split second and the tiniest bit of a smile formed on his lips. I don't think he realized it, but he was interested in me. I smiled back, but apologetically, since he and his partner in crime were hopeless in their arguments with the pathetic principal across from them.

When the furious man bellowed at me to get out, I couldn't budge. My concentration only snapped back and got my feet into gear when I heard the smack of the riding crop against the wall. The noise made tears spring to my eyes and I needed to leave before the cute guy could see me in a weak moment. I wasn't crying because he snapped at me, I was upset because he mortified me in front of a nice looking man! I was so embarrassed that I was already shaking with sobs in the middle of some random hallway, far away from his office. I wanted to be alone or with my best friend. I could never face him again, otherwise, I wouldn't ever forget him and it would be impossible for us to be friends behind Charles' back.

Who said he wanted to be friends with me, though? I was just out of my mind right now. That look was probably one of pity... I would look at someone sorrowfully, too, if they were being hollered at by Charles. I gave that look to my students every day he visited my classroom!

My heart was beating faster and faster when I heard footsteps down the hallway. There was the man and woman again. I wouldn't spare them a glance. I was so humiliated that I continued to hold myself and slide down the wall. Where was Renee when I needed her? And why was this father asking me if I was okay and if there was anything he could do to help me? I gave him short answers that were lies because I wasn't fine and I really didn't want him to leave me alone. He was pitying me, I could see that in his warm blue eyes.

The idiot humiliated me even more when he kicked me out of the hallway and blocked me from the nice man's view. I wanted him to get more out of me, but there was no time. I ran to the bus stop and cried all the way home.

I was just getting his dinner out of the oven when he came home. I quickly set it on the counter when I felt his filthy arms wrap themselves around my waist, and then tighten as my stomach hurt in his grasp. I dropped the dish of rice and chicken on the counter in surprise. "Ow, Charles, you scared me."

"You're always scared," he said while rolling his eyes. He reached around me and grabbed the dish before I could warn him that it was hot. "This looks delicious, my darling... I'm shocked!"

"Wow, really? Thanks..."

"Don't bother feeling proud of yourself. You were just more careful this time because you know that I saw that man staring at you and shit... you know you're in trouble, you bitch! And I'm not in the greatest of moods because I found a bald spot and I've gone completely gray! I'm mad! So your little plan of kissing up to me was not at all effective!"

"I didn't talk to him. You said I could only speak when spoken to, and he spoke to me, I had to speak back," I asserted.

"And you didn't move when I told you to! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry," I said as he backhanded me. I fell to the floor and blinked back tears.

"You ugly, foolish whore! I'm too old to deal with babies like you! Get yourself a ba-ba!" He tossed a baby bottle filled with milk at me. "Drink it while crawling! Now, for fuck's sake, it makes me hard!"

I got on my hands and knees and sucked. When he had enough, he whipped the bottle out of my hands and threw it into the sink. He yanked me up from the floor, threw me over his shoulder, and burped me. I belched loudly in his ear, and he smacked my back this time. I winced in pain.

"Let's get you in your crib." He tossed me in an oversized adult crib with stuff dangling from the ceiling and began pulling down my pants. "Baby's gotta go potty!" I squirmed when he forced me to relieve myself on him. "I'm gonna wipe your cunt and put you in a diaper... and then fuck you all night long!"

* * *

><p>Everything was better in the morning. Charles drove us crazily to school, giving me yet another heart attack, and I decided to hang out with Renee until the warning bell rang before my class started.<p>

"Good morning!" I greeted her and gave her a hug.

"Good morning to you too!"

I hid behind Renee when I saw the man dropping off the Hale twins in her classroom. "Oh my God, that's him!"

"Him who?"

"The man with Rose and Jasper. I saw him in a meeting with Charles! He was kinda staring at me... I kept wondering when he'd show up again!"

"Hmm, he's a parent, so he was bound to show up sometime! Maybe he has a crush on you. I met him before. He's pretty cool. Well, go say hi!" she urged me.

"No way! He saw me cry in Charles' office and in the hallway after, please hide me! I'm turning five shades of red just thinking about it!" I freaked, feeling my cheeks warm up.

"Too late," she chuckled, turning me around to face him. I took a deep breath and gaped at him like a loser but nothing came out.

"Hi, uh, didn't I see you yesterday?" He sounded as nervous as I was. It made me feel somewhat better.

"Y-yeah... um, hi." I racked my brain for something more interesting to say and then felt myself blush under his gaze. "Er, nasty weather we're having, huh?" He smiled and nodded. _Come on, Esme, think! _I bit my lip and looked around helplessly.

"What's your name?"

"Oh, ummm...what's my name?" I stuttered dumbly. "It's um... sorry, gottagobye!" I ran out, stumbling, but catching myself before falling flat on my face, and then bumped right into Charles' fat stomach that protruded over his belt buckle. Fuck! I couldn't even tell him my name? What the hell was wrong with me? I must have been messed up in the head.

"Well, hello, Esme, not watching where we're going, eh? I always knew you were a clumsy weirdo."

"I'm _not _in the mood!" I sighed with exasperation as I left for my classroom.

**So, what did you think of Esme and Carlisle's meeting? I'm on a roll here! Thanks to reviewers idealskeptic, that kiwi chick, Just4Me, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, kolbow, livi harkness, Milene Lira, and k8ln713! I love the support here! Read and review please!**


	5. Fascination

**A giant thank you to idealskeptic and k8ln713 for beta'ing this for me, and TheMortician's Daughter for prereading! They're wonderful!**

Carlisle POV:

Ever since I saw that woman, my bed felt too big for just me. I imagined her laying there next to me the whole night and when I woke up the next morning, I found myself stretching my arm across the pillow, rolling over, jacking off, and kissing... air? She was gone... I dreamt about her the whole night and it felt so real. I was holding her and we were making out and everything. Just when things were about to get good, my alarm went off. I swore and beat the shit out of my clock. It shut up, but it didn't stop her from appearing in my thoughts and being by my side as a mirage. I closed my eyes and saw her again. When I opened them, she vanished.

But she was right there! Damn it!

No, it was just a hallucination.

I sighed, stretched, yawned, and got out of bed. It was time for me to take a cold shower and then shave. I put on my best suit and fixed my hair just right because who knows, she might be there again today. I went to my son's bedroom and found him sprawled across his bed on his stomach with one arm dangling off the side and the other tucked under his forehead. I tugged on his messy curls until he decided to wake up and drag himself out of bed.

"You're still making me go back there, even though the principal won't budge from his choice to make our lives hell in that school?"

"Yes, and you kids can avoid him at all costs. You need your education and the teachers are nice. Besides, all your friends are there! There's no other elementary schools within miles of this town!"

"That's true," Emmett grumbled. "Whatever, I'll just be respectful and not give him a reason to hate me."

"Hey, man, don't take it personal... he despises everybody. He made a woman cry yesterday."

"Jeez... he must be pretty bad if he made someone cry."

"Yeah, I know. He once murdered someone and faked that the person committed suicide."

"Wow, he's evil. Well, I'm gonna get dressed now, you can... go?" he asked awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." I left the room to give him some privacy.

I made Emmett's breakfast and packed his lunch. He came downstairs and as we were leaving the house, he said, "Dad, your socks are mismatched."

I looked at my feet and noticed one sock was dark blue and the other dark purple. "Yeah, sorry... I had my mind on something else, I guess." I quickly changed my socks to match and then put my shoes on. He was already by the car door when Rosalie and Jasper joined him. I came out a minute later and started the car before they got in.

"Alright, kids, today's hump day!" I announced. "What are you the most excited for, besides Friday?"

"Today, we're gonna play a fun game in science. Mrs. Weber said we were gonna start learning something new on Friday, but I can't say it in front of the little ones here," Emmett said excitedly.

"And Ms. Bloomingfield's gonna show us how to do creative writing! Bet you can't wait to see Alice again!" Rosalie teased her brother.

"Aw, shut it, Rosie!" Jasper shouted and shoved his sister to the side.

"Oh, come on, you know you like her..." his twin taunted him while he turned red.

"Jazzy's got a crush," Emmett sang and Rosalie giggled. They burst into song, "Alice and Jasper, sitting in a tree-"

"Hey, Rosie!" Jasper cut Rosalie off. "I know why you sit between me and Em. You like him! And he likes you!"

"DO NOT!" both kids denied.

"DO TOO!" Jasper shot back.

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. _Ah, young love..._

Someone honked their horn while swerving past me and then dangerously close to the hood of my car. I had to put the emergency brakes on so the driver wouldn't hit me. He obviously had no control over his car.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" Emmett asked. "I didn't know cars could spin that fast!"

"Do you think it would flip over?" Jasper wondered aloud.

"No, stupid, cars can't do magic tricks. Besides, the people in it would die!" Rosalie hit her brother upside the head. "Sometimes I don't know how we're related..."

"Says the girl who got thrown over thirty feet in the air and only got a butt bruise!"

"Shut up, you two! Rosalie, you could have died! Jasper, cars can flip over and sometimes, people just get sent to the hospital because they're badly banged up!" Emmett informed them.

"Come on, guys, grow up. How about a little music?" I suggested.

"Sorry, Carlisle," the twins apologized.

"Yeah, sorry, Dad," Emmett added.

I started playing one of Emmett's CDs he had in my car and everything was quiet until I walked them to their classrooms.

"Dad, stop holding my hand, we're in school," Emmett complained.

"Right, I forgot, you're a big boy," I groaned and ruffled his hair before he could get away from me.

"Here's my classroom!" I opened Mrs. Weber's door for him and we shuffled inside. He sat down next to some guys and they bumped fists as a greeting. The twins stood shyly behind me when I walked up to Emmett's teacher.

"Hello, you must be Emmett's father?"

"Yes, I'm Carlisle Cullen, nice to meet you." We shook hands and smiled at each other.

"Are you somehow related to Lily? I see her kids behind you... hi, there!"

Rosalie and Jasper waved back to her timidly.

"Lily and I are best friends. We carpool, and it's my turn every other day."

"Oh, I see. I could have sworn you were brother and sister. You look much too young to have a ten year old..." she chuckled.

"Well, thank you, but I adopted him," I lied. She didn't need to know his mother was also mine.

"That makes sense."

"I gotta go take these two rugrats to Ms. Bloomingfield's classroom," I excused myself.

"Ok, bye!"

Rosalie and Jasper skipped to their classroom and I followed them. I let myself inside and they wiggled between my legs to hug Renee. I looked up and saw the woman of my fantasies talking and laughing with Renee. My guess was they were the best of friends. She gasped when I came in and hid behind Renee. She was embarrassed that I saw her cry in Charles' office and the hallway, but she had no need to be. As I walked up to the two women, Renee turned her beautiful friend around to face me. The young woman opened her mouth and closed it adorably. I wanted to hear her voice, but I guessed she was too shy. I decided to make the leap and let out a barely audible hello. I asked her name, but she bit her lip and forgot her name. The way she almost tripped running out of the classroom was cute and funny, but I felt sorry for her.

"Carlisle, you've made the poor girl run away... try getting her alone next time. I think she can talk better if she's not around anyone. She's comfortable with me and anyone else who's not a stranger, but she's not herself when she's around Charles. You should see us together..." Renee trailed off with a grin. "I have this friend you just HAVE to get to know, and that's her."

"Her laughter is like music," I thought to myself out loud.

Renee raised her eyebrow. "You're crushing on my best friend?"

"Did I say that out loud?" I asked, humiliated.

"Hey, it's better to tell me than her. Don't worry, I won't tell a soul, but she does need someone nice like you. I have the feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, buddy boy." She clapped me on the back. "Good luck."

I smiled to myself as I walked out and said, "Thank you."

Charles had the lovely woman trapped against the wall and she was trying to get free. "You're spitting in my face!" she whimpered.

"I fucking don't care!" Finally, he shoved her into a classroom and slammed the door. I turned the corner and saw a little girl strolling past me. Charles grabbed the girl and started yelling at her. She tried to fight back, but to no avail. I glared at him as he dragged her into his office and blamed her for her father selling him a broken vehicle.

"Free trip to the Chokey!" he snarled, and they both were gone. I shook my head in disappointment and sadness for the little one. I looked in the window of the classroom the woman was pushed into and saw her redecorating her classroom. It used to look so lively, but now she was turning it into a boring room. I wondered why, but I could make one guess: Charles' rules.

The woman was all I could talk about with Lily. I had no other reason to converse with her, but she did get me back on track in my job and some people joked that she should be the doctor and I the nurse.

"I mean, she's just so amazing...I really want to get to know her!" I exclaimed after fifteen minutes of rambling.

"You really gotta know her name by now... how about asking her this Friday?"

"I don't know when I'll see her again!"

"Maybe with Renee? You did mention they were best friends."

"Maybe..."

"Okay, desperate man, get some work done."

She was in my dreams until Friday. Something told me I would get to meet her alone after school today.

I walked down the long and empty hallway. I was tardy in picking up Emmett, and Bella couldn't get him because she was getting help for one of her classes and had to stay late after school. I didn't have to get Rosalie and Jasper since they wanted to ride home on the bus with Alice to get to know her better. It was a Friday and I felt so guilty for making my son late for his weekend. It was almost five, and school had ended two hours ago! My phone rang and I answered it. It was Emmett. I bought him a cell phone when he turned ten since everyone had them by the time they hit middle school.

"Dad, I'm just playing in the computer room on the games and stuff, you know... I left you alone since school ended because I wanted you to do your work, but the librarian says she's closing up."

"Don't worry, son, I'm coming."

"Alright, see you soon."

As I was about to say goodbye, a body slammed into me with a high-pitched echoing scream. I looked around, bewildered. Finally, my eyes locked onto a pair of green ones. Her heart shaped face looked scared almost. Oh, fuck, I almost knocked over that woman in Charles' office! I had crashed into her petite frame and was now holding her up so she wouldn't slip and fall. My arms were around her waist and her little fingers were clinging to the front of my shirt for dear life. I had just prevented a terrible accident. My phone bounced out of my hand and onto the floor and thousands of papers fluttered everywhere. Thankfully, she fell into my arms so she wasn't sprawled on the floor. After a few minutes of awkward silence, I finally talked. I could see that she was stunned and flushed.

"Oh dear, let me help you." I released her and knelt to the floor. She was already on her hands and knees, picking up the things she dropped. We were now at eye level like we were before.

"No, it's fine... I got this," she murmured, trying not to look at me.

I shrugged. "My stack's bigger. You need some assistance."

She rolled her eyes when she took the papers from me. "Thank you, sir."

"What is all that, by the way?"

"Spelling tests, math tests, and creative writing tests. Fridays are test days, so they don't have homework over the weekend. I do, though," she sighed. "Here's your phone."

I shoved it in my pocket. "I apologize for literally running into you... I was calling my son to let him know I was here to pick him up."

She shook her head. "No worries. I wasn't paying attention. I didn't expect anyone to be here, and I was just heading out to my car. Good thing I was clumsy inside where the wind wouldn't blow it all away."

"Smart point there," I noticed aloud. "It was me, though. I'll take the blame."

"My fault. I was looking down. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm klutzy, I guess."

It was my turn to shake my head. "You're very graceful, actually."

"And I'm not smart either. You're a doctor, I'm just a plain old teacher, not the principal, but the _teacher_," she spat.

"I was wondering what your job was... and I saw you in the office."

"I know, I saw you, too." A cute blush crept onto her cheeks as she said those words.

"I never caught your name. I'm Carlisle."

"Shouldn't I call you... Dr. Cullen?" she asked, peering at my nametag.

"Only if you're having an emergency or you need a trip to the hospital," I chuckled.

"Okay, my name is Esme Platt." I reached my hand out to shake hers, but she pulled away. Did she not like physical contact? I drew my arm back to my side and decided to take the plunge.

"Would you like to go out for lunch or at least have some coffee with me sometime this weekend?"

"Sorry, I-I'm married." She flashed her ring in my face.

My heart sank. "That's okay. I understand... do you want my number? We can just be friends."

"We're exchanging information... I-I'm sorry, sir. I have to go, I can't talk to you," she stammered. Looking alarmed, Esme broke into a run and darted out the door to her car, I assumed. What was with her? She had a whole conversation with me a minute ago and she seemed fine in my arms. Did she not like to get to know people? Maybe she was just in a rush to get home, but for what?

I turned the corner and there was Renee, locking up her classroom.

"Hey, Carlisle, what are you doing here so late?"

"Oh... I, uh, I was just getting Emmett from the library, work ran late... and I ran into your friend, Esme. Literally."

"You actually bumped into her?"

"Yes, and then I caught her. I didn't want her hitting the ground. Have you ever seen that one guy and then you think he's precious when you first run into him? She's like a flower... too pretty to be damaged. I just can't get her out of my mind!"

"Oh my god, that is just too romantic..." Renee trailed off, putting her hand to her heart. "I don't have a crush on you, but you've made _me _swoon. She'll melt, I'm telling you."

"But then she ran out after I asked for her phone number," I frowned with confusion.

Renee's face fell. "I'm sorry. I'll give you her number and when she comes to my house for a sleepover, call this number..." She got out a pad of paper from her pocket, wrote something down, and handed it to me. "Here, this is my number... she doesn't have a cell phone, but I'll buy her one soon. I can tell she likes you, but she's probably too shy to admit it. You can be friends with her at first. She likes to move slow. She's had kind of a rough childhood, just to warn you. When you call her number and she doesn't answer, just hang up," she advised me.

"So this is her house phone?" I asked, pointing to the first number she wrote.

"Yes. I can't give you her house address because one, that would be creepy, and two, her husband would kill her. He's overbearing and cruel."

"She can't get a break? Poor girl, a lousy childhood and then a horrible marriage... she's lucky to have you for a best friend, then," I murmured. "Thank you for your help."

"Oh, believe me... I've been there for her all her life. But she can tell you more when you guys talk alone together at my house. She comes to my house for a sleepover every Friday night."

"Alright, thanks again, Renee. See you later."

"Bye!" she said cheerfully.

I couldn't get Esme out of my mind. There had to be a reason behind her rejection, but how could I get to know her if the only thing she could tell me was her name and before that, her job? I had to keep reminding myself that I was going to the library to get Emmett. The doors were locked, and I was a little out of it because his voice startled me. I didn't even realize he was standing right outside the building. "Dad, let's get a movie tonight and watch it with the Hales! Can they come over to our house? Please?"

"Okay, sure, son..." I muttered, not really hearing his question, but anything concerning the Hales was alright with me.

"Dad, you seem really distracted," Emmett noticed aloud. Smart kid. Well, he was ten, after all. Not long before he started puberty... and I would have to give him the sex talk soon. I would dread it but I had to give it to him.

"Daaad, anyone home?"

"I miss you calling me 'daddy'!" I complained. "Come on sport, don't grow up so fast!"

"Sorry, Dad," he said and I winced.

"Son, you're making me feel old..."

"I don't mean to, though!"

"I know." I patted his back and we both got in the car.

"Hey, Dad," Emmett said cheerfully as he got in my car. "Guess what we learned in school today?"

"Oh, jeez..." I groaned as I pretended to think on it. "Give me a minute, son."

I thought for a while about my little boy who really wasn't little anymore. Emmett was going to be in middle school next year. He was going to try out for football and start puberty. His voice was turning scratchy and he was starting to lose the baby voice. It was almost time to give him the sex talk. He was double digits and there was no going back. He was learning all kinds of things in school that I would have to help him with. The years had gone by way too fast. He could probably even stay home by himself now. I wouldn't suggest it until he said something about it.

He was also already muscular and huge for his age, and if you didn't know him, you'd think he was already in seventh or eighth grade. It wouldn't be long before he began to date and break girls' hearts... no, I decided, he wouldn't date until he was ready for a real relationship. I would teach him to be a gentleman and love a girl for her personality as much as he loved her body. Lily and I talked about it once. She said Rose looked like a heart-breaker and a perfect match for Emmett. I was with her on that one. Our wish was coming true because they did like each other a lot, but childhood crushes come and go. You don't really fall in love until you know what love is.

Mine and Lily's biggest fear was that Rosalie would meet some guy in middle school, fall in love with the idea of having a boyfriend, forget about Emmett, get her heart stomped on, and Emmett would have another girlfriend by the time she came crying back to him. I hated that thought and I pushed it way into the back of my mind. I didn't want to worry about that until they were both in middle school. But it was coming up so fast... I couldn't help but be petrified at our kids' futures. Sure, they'd grow up and be successful, but having romantic relationships? I just didn't know yet. I have no idea how Lily does it. She seems really confident about giving her daughter a sex talk in two or three years. Maybe all mothers can deal with it, but no father wants to see his kid go from their baby to someone else's baby daddy or baby mama. Emmett called me overprotective. Well maybe I was.

I knew they learned about sex education in the first week of school because I read that in his syllabus all teachers passed out on the first day of school, and today was October first. Emmett was bouncing in his seat in anticipation.

"It was the coolest thing ever! Women's bodies are just... wow!"

I laughed. "You don't think girls have cooties anymore?"

"No way! I'm too old for that! Do you have any porn magazines?" he asked eagerly.

"I'm not answering that," I said stubbornly.

"Oh, come on!" he whined. "I'm ten! I'll watch porn on YouTube!"

"No, you won't! You're not even in middle school yet! Alright, you want the birds and the bees talk?"

"YES!"

"As you grow into a man, you get hair everywhere and you have to start shaving soon. When you feel sexually excited for a girl, you get an erection or a boner, which is when your penis rises and creates a tent in your pants. Lots of young men jack off when thinking about a young woman they like and if you wake up drenched in cum, don't worry, that's just a wet dream. Cum is a sticky substance and it gives you the feeling of having to go to the bathroom. Your voice will become deeper by the time you start puberty and you will have a massive growth spurt. You might even be as tall as me when you're fully grown."

"That's awesome! I can't wait for that! Do I have a mustache?"

I looked at him in my rearview mirror and shook my head no. "Sorry, son, that comes in when you start puberty. You're still my little boy!"

"Aww, I wanna grow up! I don't need a stupid babysitter," Emmett grumbled. "I'm ten and can take care of myself, plus Jasper and Rosalie!"

"Well that leaves Bella out of a job..."

"She can babysit Alice," he suggested. "I heard her parents don't take care of her."

"Is Alice the same girl Jasper likes?"

"Yeah. She's really smart, too! And get this, Dad, she's six and can do sixth grade work! She helps us with our homework!"

"That's really cool. Do you know her parents?"

"No, she just says they don't give two hoots about her."

"I'm glad she has friends like you guys, then."

After leaving him to his own devices at our house, I picked up the phone and dialed the number Renee wrote for me. Taking a deep breath, I hoped the voice answering the phone would be hers. My wish died when a man's rough voice answered, so I hung up as fast as I could. The man's voice made my heart stop and I had the feeling it would be dangerous to try to be with this woman.

I also had the guts to attempt a relationship with her behind her husband's eyes.

**So, what did you think of Esme and Carlisle's running into each other, the kids' antics, and Carlisle's sex talk with Emmett? Thanks to reviewers idealskeptic, that kiwi chick, Just4Me, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, livi harkness, teamcullenx, K.K. Fush, cuddyannie, CarlisleandEsme8, and k8ln713! I love the support here! Read and review please! During my trip, I wrote a oneshot called Testing Bonds so please check that out, and I'm working on another Carlisle/Esme oneshot called Family Secrets which will be up later tonight! TTYL!**


	6. Girl Bonding

**A big thank you to idealskeptic for beta'ing this for me, and TheMortician's Daughter & K.K Fush for prereading! They're super! **

Esme POV:

Since Charles was teaching my class today, I had to put away anything fun, like the art projects, birds and beetles, fish, crayons, and anything colorful, my children were going to cover the room in lists of rules, maps, and other boring shit that should never be displayed in a first grade classroom. My kids filed in, one by one, as the time got closer to eight. I gave them each a hug, but I was looking for Alice. She was nowhere to be found. I figured maybe her bus was late. I hoped she wasn't sick today. She was already my favorite student. She seemed so cheerful even though her home life was shitty.

Maggie and Bree were chattering excitedly about a frog, or a salamander they had found outside. "Look, Miss Platt! We saw a frog and caught it!" Gianna pointed out to me. I knelt down to her level and checked it out.

"Cool! Looks like a newt, though. Or a chameleon. But more like a newt. Good try, girls. You better put that in a locked jar. I don't want it running loose in the classroom, especially since Mr. Evenson's coming soon."

They scrambled away from me and found something to put it in.

"Hurry, I can hear him coming! Get a cold glass of water, please!" I urgently instructed Diego as the rest of the kids finished transforming my colorful classroom into a black and white one. "Alright, now last time, some of you forgot his rules: don't speak unless you're spoken to. No giggling. No looking happy. Don't even breathe loudly," I looked to the door nervously when I heard the handle twist.

"No inhaling or exhaling at all!" Charles exclaimed, jumping into the room with a bang. I stepped back and leaned on the desk with my hand pressed to my heart. Maggie was trying to get my attention.

"Miss Platt!" she mouthed.

I held up a finger and said, "Good morning, Mr. Evenson."

"Good morning, Mr. Evenson," the children said altogether when they stood up.

"Sit down! You're all brats! Shoo!" he said when Gianna handed him the water glass. When the girl sat back down, Charles started rattling off his mouth again about how he hated kids. "I don't understand why children are allowed to live. Why are they so nasty? They're like pathetic mothballs who deserve to live in filth! I would love to live in a world where children do not exist!" He glared at every single one of the kids. I wanted to punch him in his stupid, fat, ugly face.

I looked around for Alice. She was late. If he caught her come in tardy, I was afraid of what he'd do to her. I caught Maggie's eye and mouthed, "Where's Alice?"

Maggie put her hands around her neck and stuck her tongue out. I gasped. _He put her in the Chokey? How could he do that?_

"They should drop off the face of the earth! My ideal school is one that is free of children!" He clapped in Bree's face, and she shrank back against her chair. "Isn't that right, Miss Platt?"

"Oh, uh, yes, Mr. Evenson. Excuse me for a minute," I escaped the classroom and sprinted down the hall to his office. I marched right in there and struggled to open the door of the chokey room. When it finally creaked open, billows of smoke clouded my vision and I sneezed because of the dust. I heard Alice coughing from below me, holding her nose, and I bent down to her level, being careful of the nails sticking out from the door. "Come on baby," I murmured as I pulled her out of the Chokey and hugged her close. "You okay?"

"He-he wanted to teach me a lesson because my father made a fool out of him! He said I was the spitting image of my father! He threw me in here for my father selling him a faulty car!" she sobbed into my shirt. "He said that the apple never rots far from the tree! I'm nothing like my father! I was so scared when the door slammed in my face! It was too loud and smelly!"

"Shh, shh..." I whispered into her hair. "You're okay now. Ready to go back to class?" I wiped her face free of tears and dirt. "He'll be there, but don't you worry, just be a good girl. I know you will be, though."

She nodded meekly and sniffled. "I'm sorry for interrupting your class, Ms. Platt."

"It's no problem at all, dear," I took her by the hand and led her back to class. She smiled up at me when I opened the door for her.

"Thank you, Ms. Platt."

"You're very welcome."

I looked up from her to what Charles was now doing to Diego, which was dumping him upside down and holding him by the leg. My mouth popped open in shock. I was horrified.

"Clean out your pockets quicker next time, you scumrag immigrant!" he hollered at the poor guy before dropping him to the ground.

Diego scampered back to his seat. "Yes, Mr. Evenson."

"Interesting, huh, Miss Platt?" Charles asked me with his signature evil smirk.

I nodded, faking that I agreed with him. Alice sat in her seat and grinned at her friends around her.

Charles lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip of water. Gianna smiled for some reason. Didn't I tell everyone not to smile?

"Get up! Can you spell?" he asked Bree while she was standing up and shaking out her hair.

"Miss Platt taught us how to spell a long word yesterday. We can spell 'difficulty'."

"You couldn't spell 'difficulty'' if your life depended on it!" Charles sneered.

I smiled proudly at my students when they started spelling it, and Bree motioned for the others to join her. "Mrs. D, Mrs. I, Mrs. F, F, I Mrs. C, Mrs. U, Mrs. L, T, Y!"

"Why are all these women married?" Charles banged the riding crop on Alice's desk and her face fell. "You're supposed to be teaching them how to spell, not recite poetry!" He lifted up his water glass and prepared to drink the whole thing. "I just don't get why it takes so long for children to become adults! They probably just do it on purpose to get under my skin!" He took a huge gulp and I jumped when I saw the newt's wiggling legs halfway out of his puckered lips. The kids were laughing out loud and some of the guys did a fist bump. Gianna got hi-fives from every girl around her.

My eyes widened. "Shh!" I whispered, panicked that he was going to get madder.

"Silence!" Charles yelled while the newt splashed back into the water and out of his mouth. I accidentally snorted into my hand. "What's so hilarious? Come on, you pests, spit it out! Hmm? What's got you chuckling so hard? I like a joke as well as the next fat person!" The kids burst out laughing. I bit my lip to muffle my giggles. "It's a snake! It's a lizard! It's a reptile! Some loser here tried to kill me! Who did it?" he hollered.

Alice raised her hand.

"YOU! I knew it! You little demon! I'll get you one day!" He advanced towards Alice, and I picked up his riding crop and slammed it on my desk to make him stop in his tracks. I didn't want him hurting any of my babies.

"Mr. Evenson, I just wanted you to know that it was a newt, not just a reptile or snake or lizard."

"What was that, child?"

"It's a newt."

"Stand up, miss smart mouth! You were the little mastermind behind this evil plot, weren't you? You hated the Chokey, didn't you? Well, you pathetic little nothing, you can't do revenge for shit!"

"Mr Evenson!" I shouted in horror.

"Damn right, Miss Platt, I swore! They're gonna hear swear words one of these days, and I'm the best person to teach them those kinds of words! Well, Alice, I can retaliate against you right back. I'm much more clever than you are!"

"Don't worry, Miss Platt. I know enough bad words to last me a lifetime. As for you, Mr. Evenson, I didn't do it. And you have no right to use that kind of language in front of me or my peers!"

I raised an eyebrow. This girl was just...amazing. She fought back. She wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in.

"Young lady, I'll make a man out of you!" He put his elbow on her desk and grabbed her hand. "Arm wrestle!"

Oh my God, that's how he broke my arm when I was her age! I hated him so much, I really did.

"You're going to break my arm. I won't let you hurt me."

"Did you do it by yourself or did any friends help you?"

"I'm telling you, I swear I didn't do it!" she insisted, and swung her foot as hard as she could into his shin under her desk. "Let go of me now!" she growled as he hopped away, holding his leg in pain. "I told you not to mess with me because I play rough!" she hissed.

"Go, Ali," I whispered under my breath. Inside, though, I was cheering. That was my girl.

"Whatever. You still get punished even if you didn't do the deed because I'm big, you're little, I'm right, you're wrong, and there's nothing you can do about it! You're a fibber and a scoundrel and your father is the same way! He's a cheat, just like you! You all are the most corrupt lowlifes in the history of civilization! Am I wrong? I'm never wrong! In this classroom, in this school, in this world, I AM GOD!" he bellowed as the glass tipped over, spilling water all over Charles' jacket. Everyone laughed as the newt crawled up his coat. He was freaking out and jumping around like a madman. My eyes went upwards as the newt landed on the lamp and then into Diego's hands. He hid it in his lap.

Charles pointed at Alice again. "You did this!"

It was time for me to step in. "How could she have possibly done it if she was ten feet away from you or the glass?"

Alice stood up straight as he walked by her and the rest of the students down the aisles. "I'll be watching you, each and every one of you brats! When you get your stinky coats out of your cubbies, when you skip merrily to lunch...I'll be watching!" With that, he stormed out of the room, enraged that he was outsmarted and defeated by a first grader. Ha. Take that!

"Thanks for not telling!" Gianna told Alice.

"Best friends don't tell," Alice did Charles' dance, waved her arms around madly, and they giggled.

"Oh, buddy, I'm sorry," I said to Diego and messed up his hair. "You okay?"

"Fine."

"Alright, kids, I'll clean up this mess and help you fill the bird feeder. Be there in a minute," I started mopping up the water stain with a rag so it wouldn't seep through the floor. Everyone but Alice trailed out of the classroom.

"Want me to help?" Alice asked.

"No, sweetie, it's fine."

"Look, I gotta come clean...I did it, Miss Platt,"

"What are you talking about?" I was confused and got up from my hands and knees. "Come here, you can sit in my chair, I'll sit on your desk,"

Her eyes lit up. "Really? Cool!" She jumped into my big seat and put her hands behind her head. "Is it okay if I put my feet up?"

"Just this once," I grinned at her and sat cross-legged on her desk.

"Thanks! So, anyway, what I was talking about was that I made it spill on Charles. I take full responsibility for my actions." Alice hung her head.

"Oh, no, honey, don't let him make this your fault. It was an accident."

"No, no, I made the glass tip over. It was on purpose, I swear! Look and then you tell me if I'm lying!" She poured a glass of water for herself out of the bottle and stared at it. "Tip over, glass, come on, tip over, you can do it...tip over, glass! Don't fail me now!"

I propped my chin up on my hands. "It's so wonderful that you feel powerful. Not many people feel as strong as you do." Like me, for instance.

Nothing happened, and Alice looked pretty disappointed. She sat back and gave up trying. "It's alright, Alice."

"I really did do it. I'm not a liar, you know," she insisted.

"I trust you, sweetheart. Sometimes that happens, you know, you think something is broken, you take it to get fixed, and then it turns out to work perfectly, or you do so well at a sport or activity without an audience, but with one-"

She cut me off. "It's not that. I dunno... I was concentrating too hard and I made myself tired. Sorry, it was a complete fail!" She sighed sadly.

"You can try it again next time. Would you like to go out with me this afternoon for ice cream? My treat," I promised her.

"Seriously? Of course, I would like that very much, Miss Platt."

"Awesome. I get mini girl time. Now, get off my chair and go play with your other friends, little one," I poked her side and she giggled. "It's gonna get worse, you know," I teased her.

"Hey, that's my tickle spot! But I'm not telling you where I'm the most ticklish!" she said with a mischevious glint in her eye. I almost caught her when she ran out of the room like a bullet.

"You little trickster!" I cried and panted as her laughter echoed through the hallway. Shaking my head at her goofiness, I walked to Renee's empty classroom to join her for lunch. I would give Charles his food later. He could starve for a while. I let myself in her room.

"What, Esme, don't you even knock anymore?" she asked and put down her papers. "Oh, I guess I should let you in, since I've known you since like forever," She came over to me and hugged me. "What's up, squirt?"

"Renee!" I complained. "I'm not a squirt! You called me that when I was a three year old!"

"Let the good times roll," she laughed and we both sat on her desk. "So what's up with you?"

"Can we have some girl talk?" I asked timidly.

"Sweetie, you never have to ask or be shy about it. I heard a lot of commotion from the dingbat's mouth from down the hall. What was all the garbage about anyway? Another tirade about how the children were so horrible?"

"Ah, you know, the usual...him tormenting the poor babies, me not being able to stop him...and one of those sneaky girls slipping a newt in his water...somehow the water spilled on him and that newt was all over him! He tried to accuse my student, Alice, for doing it, but I know it wasn't her. It was an accident, but it was pretty funny,"

Renee was cackling during my explanation. I hadn't even gotten past the word 'newt'. "Serves his ass right!"

"And he tried to arm wrestle with Alice, but she fought him off and kicked his shin. She seems so smart!"

"I love her for that. She sounds like the Karate Kid."

"She was the perfect girl to do that to him, since he locked her in that goddamn Chokey room. I saved her when Gianna, her friend, told me where exactly Alice was. I swear, when we hugged, there was this tug at my heart, and I felt a connection with her."

"Aww...but you always warm up to your students! You're just...sweet in that way. I wish I was as sweet as you are," she said warmly.

"Renee, you're as sweet as candy," I assured her. "If you weren't, I would have been completely alone all my life after my mother died."

"Thank you. Now what do you mean, a connection? I mean, when I hug my students, there is a tug at my heart, but I know they have parents who love them and I'm their teacher."

"Same here. But Alice seems so special to me, like she _should_ be my baby girl. She has no loving parents. They leave her home alone all the time and she can't fend for herself. I just...can't imagine that."

"You should invite her places every day after school."

"I did today. I have a feeling she is going to be my best mini friend."

"Nice, you two are gonna be like mother and daughter. That is so cute! And you've already saved her. You rescued me too, you know. When you were four, Charles started to slide his hands up my shirt. I started to slap him, and you knew I was upset, so you threw a Barbie doll at him, and he stopped. Thanks, Ez."

"You're welcome. Did he hit me when I did that? I can't remember."

"I think you knocked him out," Renee laughed and hugged me. "Come on, enough with the heavy, let's go to lunch."

"By the way...whenever a guy talks to me, he rapes me whether I initiated conversation or not and I only spoke when spoken to…that guy spoke to me."

Renee looked suddenly interested. "Yes, he did. Charles saw that yesterday and this morning as well, didn't he?"

"Yeah…"

"At least you can hang out with Alice instead of him this afternoon…he expects you home by six, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, except for when I tell him that I'm gonna be at your house for a sleepover this Friday. He likes when I go because then he gets to make fun of me for still liking sleepovers at my age."

She rolled her eyes. "Does he not realize that you have fun and he hates when you have fun?"

"Apparently not," I laughed.

"Well, have fun with Alice," she said and waved at me when the bell rang.

"Thanks, girl!" We hugged and then I ran out to the bus stop to meet Alice.

"Hi, Ms. Platt!" she greeted me excitedly.

"Hey, there, little one. When we're outside the classroom, you're more than welcome to call me Esme."

Her eyes lit up. "Thanks! Have you ever gone out for ice cream before?"

"Yes, many times, as a little girl, and even as a young woman. Renee took me here all the time." The bus stopped at Baskin Robbins. "This is my favorite place to get ice cream. What's your favorite flavor?"

"Brownie sundae-brownies at the bottom, Oreo ice cream with chocolate and rainbow sprinkles and whipped cream. Mmm, mmm, good!"

I winked at her. "That's _my_ favorite!"

I held her hand as we crossed the street. She pressed the cross button and soon, we were finally at the place. I opened the door for her and the cold air enveloped us instantly. "I'll order a brownie sundae, is that good for you?"

"It's perfect!" Alice sat down in a comfy booth and waited for me.

"So, what can I get you and your daughter?" the woman behind the counter asked.

I was confused. "My daughter? I don't have a daughter."

"The little girl over there looks just like you from the back."

"Oh she's my student, Alice!" I corrected the woman.

"Oops sorry, my bad! You two came in holding hands, so I just assumed. You look like mother and daughter, you know." She chuckled.

"Thanks! Anyway, can you get us a brownie sundae with Oreo ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate and rainbow sprinkles on top?"

"Sure."

"Thank you."

She handed me our orders after a few minutes and I paid her five dollars. It was a pretty good deal. Alice and I decided to walk out and eat on a bench outside.

She took a bite and sighed, "Yummy!"

"I used to do this with Renee when I was little, as I've told you before…it's still so good!" I exclaimed, diving in.

"I know!" Alice licked her lips.

"So what's it like, your power?" I asked her all of a sudden.

"I just stare very hard, and then my eyes get all hot, and I can feel the strongness. I feel like I can move almost anything in the world. You do believe me, don't you?"

"Oh, I believe that you should believe in whatever power you think you have inside of you. Believe it with all your heart."

"I'm glad you understand me. Sometimes, I feel like an orphan..."

"I need to tell you something. You may think you're alone, but you're not."

"What do you mean?"

I squeezed her hand as I began to tell my story. "I never knew my dad. He died in the Iraq war when I was two. My mom killed herself when I was five. Her name was Anne, that's how I got my middle name."

"I don't think Anne killed herself," Alice responded.

"Me neither." I closed my eyes tight at the image of Charles choking my mother to death. Before I knew it, I had found the site where my mom was buried.

"Why are we walking into a graveyard? The ice cream place seemed a lot happier."

"I wanted you to meet someone."

Alice read the gravestone. "Anne Marie Platt...she died when she was thirty? But that's too young to die!"

"I know, sweetheart."

"How did it happen? You and I both know she didn't commit suicide."

"I saw her get murdered when I was five...someone was hurting her...she gave up her life for mine."

"Somebody wanted to kill you? But you're so nice!"

"Thank you, darling. There are people in this world who aren't as sweet as you and me. You know that, right?"

"Yes. My parents, my brother, Mr. Evenson...I haven't met a lot of mean people in my life...I'm sure you've met at least ten since you're a grown up."

"I'm no different than you are."

"So you've said. Did the police ever find the murderer?"

"No, he got away with it. He always wanted me…he hated children, so he wanted to kill me. He kept me locked up in a cage once my babysitter, Renee, you know her as Ms. Bloomingfield, left for college. He made me cook his dinners and clean the house spotless. That was the only time he would let me out. Other times, he hurt me. He ripped photos of my mother and father in half and tore my doll's clothing to shreds. She was a ragdoll, and I called her 'Ali doll'…it's a little coincidental, but I liked that name a lot when I was little. It's my favorite name again, but living with this past is very hard."

"Did you ever try to run away?"

"Only once. Renee got me just in time. I almost threw myself off a cliff. It was so bad…" I sniffled and a tear rolled down my cheek.

"I'm so sorry…this guy sounds like Mr. Evenson!"

"That's because he _was_ Mr. Evenson. I still live with him now. He forced me to marry him…Uncle Charles."

"What?" Alice asked, shocked. "No!"

"Yes…"

I looked at my watch and realized I had to go. "Oh, I'm sorry, Alice, I need to be home soon, his rules…but I had a really fun time with you today."

"I did too."

I got home, looked around anxiously for Charles, and sighed in relief that the coast was clear.

But when he saw me, he gave me the biggest punishment imaginable like he always did.

On Friday, I was happy to go to Renee's house for a sleepover. We sat side by side on her purple couch and I talked about running into Carlisle, literally, one of my most embarrassing moments ever.

"That guy I saw talking to Charles...I ran into him today. His name is Carlisle. He asked me out, but I said no."

"You _what_? You're crazy! This is your chance to leave the bastard!"

"You know I can't, Renee. Besides, it's not like I have a crush on him or anything." My blush betrayed me, so she poked me every time I denied my feelings for him.

"I got his number, so we're gonna call him," she decided aloud and whipped out her cell phone.

"Oh you bitch!" I slugged Renee with one of her couch pillows. We had a mini pillow fight until the phone was long forgotten. I giggled right when she started dialing his number at about midnight.

"Hello?" he answered.

**Oh, I just love Esme hanging out with Renee and Alice, and her and Carlisle's forbidden friendship/love story is just beginning! Isn't it sweet? What do you think? **

**Also, please check out K.K. Fush's new story, Evenson House...it's really awesome and based on A Little Princess, but with Twilight characters, the main ones being Esme and Rosalie, and Carlisle and Esme have a secret romance with Charles being the principal there too! You will LOVE it!**

**Another story you'll enjoy is The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter which is a Twilight and Bones crossover. It's hilarious and about Carlisle and Esme running into Booth and Brennan one day...a fun read!**

**Thank you to reviewers **idealskeptic, K.K. Fush, 13, that kiwi chick, Just4Me, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, kolbow, livi harkness, Milene Lira, cuddyannie, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, and k8ln713! I love the support here! Read and review please!****


	7. Dancing Revelations

**Many thanks to my wonderful beta idealskeptic and my two amazing prereaders K.K. Fush and TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Carlisle POV:

I was sleeping when my phone buzzed on my night table. Renee's name flashed on the screen and that could only mean one thing-Esme was with her. I rubbed my eyes open and yawned before answering. I could hear soft whispers in the background.

"N-no, you talk to him!" a quiet voice hissed.

"He's your man," the other voice insisted in a light, bubbly tone.

"Oh my God, Renee…just shut up for like ten minutes, 'kay?"

"Will do."

I was very amused at what was happening on the other end. She finally picked up and started talking to me.

"Hi…Carlisle?"

"Esme, how are you?"

"Okay, this is really awkward. My friend, Renee, called you so we could have a conversation. Not the best way to start a friendship, is it? I mean, she talked me into this…my husband ordered me not to talk to any guys, it's nothing against you, I promise. Oh my God, please shut me up before I say anything weird."

I didn't want to stop her beautiful, innocent voice. But it was my turn to speak.

"Renee told me you would be sleeping over at her place tonight. I suppose it's safe to talk to you now?"

"It is. I sleep over with her every Friday night. So what did you do tonight with your kids?"

"My son, Emmett, and my friend Lily's kids, Jasper and Rosalie, watched a movie with us."

"Cool, what movie? I might know it."

"They watched _Grease_ for the first time."

"God, I love that movie! My favorite song in there is Summer Nights."

"Summer lovin, had me a blast…" I began jokingly.

"Summer lovin, happened so fast…" she crooned right after me.

"Aw, I can't sing the whole song…you were better than me."

"It's okay. I'm a horrible singer. You couldn't be that bad, because I'm worse! Renee tells me I'm great at everything, but I hardly believe her. I'm not the best person in the world, you know. I have issues…I'm twenty-five and I like to have pillow fights and gossip with a thirty-nine year old woman-ow! Renee just smacked me over the head with a pillow. She knows I'm kidding, though. Renee's about to be the big four-oh...she won't shut up about it, even though it's nine months away, June 30th!"

"There's no problem with that! My best friend is forty and sometimes, we go to the bar together when his daughter is out…I think your friend would like him very much."

"Yes, let's set them up on a blind date," she giggled.

There was a bit of silence and she whispered to Renee, "No, I'm not inviting him for a date to your house next Friday! That's too flirty! We've just started being friends!"

To make her feel more comfortable, I interrupted her and said, "Would you like me to come over to Renee's house so we can hang out and have dinner…maybe watch a movie next Friday night at seven?"

"I would love that, thank you," she said gratefully.

"It's not a problem. What time do you usually like to go to bed at sleepovers, Esme?"

"I'm getting a little tired, but Renee keeps me up until three…she's a wild one! Not that it's a bad thing," she added on quickly.

"I could talk to you all night until we both fall asleep. But you did wake me up. I'm glad you did. I was waiting for your call."

"Oh?" She was interested.

"Yes…I want to be your friend…if you'll accept."

"Of course I accept! But you've made me so shy and wordless, so I have to get my beauty sleep now."

"Okay, thank you and good night, Esme."

"The pleasure is mine. Night, Carlisle."

I fell back against my pillow with a sigh. The rest of the weekend went by slowly without seeing her face. I barely noticed the kids playing until I heard her name.

"And she lets me call her Esme! She's so cool!" a girl cried. I ran into Emmett's room to find him, Rosalie, Jasper, and a small pixie playing together. The pixie was chattering away while the others listened eagerly. They didn't notice my presence until I knocked softly on the door. They looked up at me and smiled.

"Hello, you must be Dr. Cullen, Emmett's father?" the short girl asked. "I'm Alice Brandon."

Brandon…where did I hear that name before? Could she have been that stupid car salesman's daughter? I decided to keep it to myself until it came up in conversation.

She stood up, walked over to me, and gave me a firm handshake.

"It's very nice to meet you, Alice."

"Pleasure meeting you too."

"Emmett, when did I say you could have friends over? Did you finish your homework?" I asked and folded my arms across my chest.

"Well you said it was okay…"

"When did I say that?" The stern look on my face was fading away as I realized that he asked me when I was thinking about Esme again. _Damn, that boy is smart…_

"Never mind," I sighed. "Do you kids have any homework at all?"

"Just me. I hate spelling! I can't read and I'm ten!" Emmett grumbled.

His friends gave him sympathetic looks and hugged him goodbye. Pretty soon, it was just us.

"Alright, sport, get in that living room, we got some work to do!"

"Why did Mrs. Weber assign this extra homework for me?" he complained.

"She wants you to do well. Let me see what you've done so far."

He handed the worksheet over to me. "It's friggin impossible! She says I'll exceed, but I just know I won't!"

"Now, now…with that attitude, it is hopeless to learn! Just try, please, for your dad?"

"Fine. I just don't understand why 'hop' has to have an 'e' at the end sometimes…what's the difference? Why the 'ing'?"

"Well, hop and hope are two separate words. They don't have the same meaning. Hop is to jump up and down on one foot and hope is to wish for something in the near future. They are both verbs and you only add the 'ing' if the verb ends with an 'e'. You say 'ing' if you put the word 'are' before it in the sentence. Try to remember that, okay?"

"Okay, thanks, Dad, that helps a lot! And math? How do you explain that? Alice sometimes helps me in school, but she doesn't know how she got it. It just comes up in her head."

"What problem?"

"Seven times nine…I always get that one wrong. I can't tell if it's multiplication or addition. The signs are the same!"

"They look the same, but they're not. We could work with coins, but I don't have sixty-three coins. Do you know seven times five?"

"Yeah, thirty-five."

"Good. And seven times four?"

"Twenty-eight. The problem is I keep counting seven plus seven until I lose count after like five times."

"An easier way to do that without a calculator is adding twenty-eight and thirty-five…add thirty to twenty-eight in your head, that's three groups of ten."

"Twenty-eight, thirty-eight, forty-eight, fifty-eight, now what?" he asked after counting on his fingers.

"Add five to fifty-eight."

"Sixty three!" he exclaimed with a smile after a pause.

"Alright!" I congratulated him with a high five. "Can you do the rest by yourself?"

"I think so. I'll try."

"I'm so proud of you, Emmett." I sat back and watched my son struggle and then his face lit up when he got the answer right. He had to check with me but I could tell he was learning from his mistakes.

"Done!" he announced cheerfully.

"Awesome! You can go play with your friends, but I got one last question to ask you: is Back to School Night next Thursday?"

"Yeah…we don't need a babysitter, remember?"

"Right, but I can't just stop calling Bella…I feel bad firing her."

Emmett shrugged. "Just tell her you're sorry but your kid's all grown up and can take care of his younger friends."

"I could do that. Thanks."

"You're welcome!" Emmett shouted as he ran off to play with his friends. I shook my head with a smile and went to call Bella, but I got an automated voice message.

_We're sorry you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you feel you have reached this recording in error please check the number and try your call again_.

This annoyed me to no end. What kind of sitter was she if she couldn't give me her new phone number? I dialed the number she gave me previously, but was impossible to reach her. I would have to get rid of her another time.

For the next few days, I tried to watch Esme through her classroom window, but it was hard sneaking around not knowing who her husband was. I had to avoid him at all costs. When Charles walked past me, I gave him the finger behind his back. I wondered why he bullied Esme and who else he tortured. I heard soft music playing in her classroom and she was all by herself. She got up from the desk she was sitting on and started twirling around, completely unaware that she was being spied on. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever witnessed. She spun, swayed, and moved her feet like a hip-hop and ballet dancer, alternating her steps. I actually laughed out loud when she did a cartwheel in a large, open space. When the song ended, she rushed back to her seat and sat down. She mouthed 'thank you' and blew kisses at her invisible audience. I started clapping, even though she didn't hear me…or did she? Her eyes snapped up to meet mine and she blushed a deep red. She strolled to the door and opened it a crack. "How much did you see?" she asked softly, ashamed.

"All of it," I admitted and caused her to look down and sigh.

"My students are about to arrive. I-just don't mention this to anyone, please."

"Right, I'm about to leave…but you're a great dancer. Why do you think I stayed to watch you move like a gentle wind on a summer evening?"

Esme shrugged and bit her lip. "Thanks, I guess…I was bored, you know. It's my hobby. I've never even danced in front of Renee because I know I'm terrible. She'd laugh at me. It's like when people sing badly, but just for fun and not in front of anyone…not like they're gonna be on Idol. Dancing's the same thing…you won't see me on _America's Best Dance Crew_…I've never been in a dance class either."

"You learned naturally. That's the best way. You have a talent."

She scoffed. "It's not a talent. I have none. I'm a loser with one friend in the entire world." She looked absolutely miserable and I felt so bad for her.

"Yes, you do. And no, you're not. You have me and Alice, not just Renee."

"Okay, so three friends. But I was a nobody in elementary, middle, and high school. Don't even ask about college, I just went to get my teaching degree. Honest." She pursed her lips at me.

"I wasn't that popular back then either…kids can be cruel," I insisted.

"I shut myself out," were the last words she spoke before the chattering children ran in the empty classroom. I had nothing else to do except for let the door close and walk away. Why did she do that to herself? There must have been a very good reason. She had a dark past, but just how dark could it have been? Her parents must have been complete assholes and forced her into marriage with a controlling husband…that poor girl!

On the eve of Back to School Night, I put Emmett in charge of Rosalie and Jasper. They were going to watch television and eat leftovers for dinner. Lily, Will, and I trusted them to use the microwave for heating up their food and we quizzed them over and over again about what to do in an emergency. We left our cell phone numbers on the fridge in case anything went wrong. It was their first night home alone, but we were sure they would do just fine. In fact, they were cheering when we left.

Lily rolled her eyes as she helped Will in the passenger seat and I folded up his wheelchair and placed it into the trunk. "I remember when they cried whenever Will or I had to leave the house. I miss those days."

"Same here," I agreed and got into the back seat. When we got to the school, Lily wheeled her husband to the building where thousands of parents were milling around the place, and I walked beside her. Evenson was smirking at us when Lily and Will kissed.

"You can't use your legs, huh, boy? How do you fuck her then?"

Lily ran the wheelchair over the principal's toes and we left him there, hopping up and down in pain.

"Thank you, sweetheart," her husband said, and she rustled his hair lovingly.

"You're welcome."

Evenson made an announcement over the loudspeaker. "I'm not meeting with anyone. I'm dealing with some bad girl right now. Go see your child's teachers."

"No introduction then…oh well, let's go." I led them inside and passed Charles' office, just out of curiosity to see who the so-called 'bad girl' was. I heard her voice faintly through the door marked with the principal's name in all caps. Of course it had to be Esme who was trapped in there, trying to get out of his firm hold on her waist. My guess was he was trying to rape her. He was groping her strongly and I let out an animalistic growl.

"No, please...stop, I have to appear professional...stop..." she begged weakly. "I don't want to be late for Back to School Night."

"Be quiet, we got three minutes left, sugarlumps."

"You're wrinkling my skirt," she groaned as he pushed his knee between her legs. "I...can't...sir, please let me go!"

The minute he tore open her beautiful purple lacy blouse to reveal a sexy black bra, I turned away to give them some privacy. Besides, her black pencil skirt that was tight over her ass was driving me insane, and she didn't need me, along with the perverted principal, lusting after her. The sound of her cries for help broke my heart.

I heard a loud boom just then. Our heads snapped up to see Charles push Esme against a wall through his office window. He smacked her across the face. "That's her! The woman I saw in the bathroom! I just knew it!" Lily whispered in my ear.

"I gotta help her," I decided immediately. "Can you please get Renee for me? I need to beat this guy up. No man hurts a woman in my book."

"Be careful!" Lily's voice echoed through the hallway. Then, she left, and I heard the door slam with a loud bang.

"I love it when you're so speechless and stupid. Goodbye." With that, he walked out the open door and slammed it shut behind him. I took a look inside and saw her smoothing down her skirt and fumbling with the buttons. Her shirt was slightly ripped and frayed near the bottom, but she still looked nice. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and went to continue on toward her classroom, but she fell to the floor with a gasp.

"Oh my God, he almost broke my legs! I can barely stand!" she whimpered.

I looked around for her attacker, but he was gone, so I figured it was okay to touch her now. I scooped her up bridal style, opened the door with one hand, and sat her in a chair until she regained her energy and footing. Her eyes weren't focused anyplace, they were just going every which way. She covered her face and winced when blood dribbled down her chin from her lip from where she was hit.

"Th-thank you," she murmured gratefully. "I think I lost my vision for a second there…he does it so fast…and I can't keep up with his sudden movements…"

"Are you dizzy?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again. "Not anymore."

"You're bleeding," I noticed aloud and fished through my pockets for tissue, but found none. Thankfully, there was Kleenex on the desk, so I picked out a piece and wiped off the trail of blood from the bottom of her eye to her chin and then her lips. "And you have a slight bruise." I showed her the evidence from the stained tissue.

"Oh, shit," she muttered.

"Don't worry, I got it." I spat in the tissue and gently pressed on her cheek to get the rest of the blood off.

"Ow…do I have a black eye?"

"Nope, you're good."

"Ugh, so much for looking professional," she grumbled and rolled her eyes.

"You look perfect," I said while staring into her breathtaking green eyes. She said nothing back but she took a deep breath and shifted her gaze from my face.

"What did he do to her this time?" Renee asked from behind me. I turned around.

"This time? Does he always do this?"

"Yes, unfortunately, she is his victim every single damn time!"

"He tried to rape her and when she resisted because she wanted to be on time for Back to School Night, he slapped her across the face. I want to kick his ass!" I growled.

"He'll kill you. He'll be suspicious that she's dating you and that's the reason why you're beating him up. Just come to my house tomorrow night and you can be with her then," Renee advised me.

"Thanks. I think we should go back now."

"You can. I'll be a minute, go visit Carmen," Renee excused me. When I left, I heard her comforting Esme and helping her stand.

I walked to Emmett's classroom, sat in the desk where his name was, and learned everything they were doing at that moment.

"Hello, ladies and gentleman, my name is Carmen Weber. Students are normally assigned spelling tests every Friday and they should be able to offer detailed analysis's of characters and plot on phases of writing - outline, draft, revise, newspapers, magazines and write opinions about news and write reports of several pages in length on various topics. As for math, they will become familiar with improper fractions and aspects of data such as mean, median, range, and mode. They're gonna learn different types of triangles such as isosceles, etcetera, calculate perimeters and areas of triangles, rectangles, subtract and multiply, and they will be more skilled at doing math "mentally," without writing down problems on paper. In science, social studies, and tech, they will **l**earn about early American history, including the Constitution, Bill of Rights, the different branches of government and how the important landmarks around the how living organisms work, including photosynthesis and more about the human body, including cardiovascular and skeletal systems. We have already covered sex education. Also, they will learn about the solar system and our planet: oceans, weather, landforms, and etcetera, and earn about the environment and our effect on it. If you have any questions, please call me-my number is on the board behind me, or you can email me, it's my full name and then at gmail dot com."

I looked around the colorful classroom filled with art projects they had done and a skeleton was at a corner of the room. Outside the classroom, there was a garden that they must have kept tidy each day. I raised my hand.

"Do the students also do yard work?"

"Oh, yes, that's their favorite thing to do, plant flowers under the sun and watch their seeds turn into beautiful flowers," Carmen answered me and several parents chuckled. After an hour of listening to different questions about the material my son and his fellow classmates were learning about, I had to use the restroom. I heard voices right when I got in there. Two men were talking, and it sounded like their children were in Esme's classroom.

"I try to find out how my kid's doin' and the principal makes me leave. He won't let me talk to the teacher just because my wife's not there. My wife died in childbirth!"

"Man, I'm sorry...he just seems possessive of her."

"You think? He couldn't keep his goddamn hands off of her! She kept trying to shrug him off but he wouldn't leave her alone!"

"As I passed the classroom you were in, I saw him sit her on his lap and she looked awfully uncomfortable. I feel terrible for her and any other single dads of Diego's friends in Ms. Platt's class. The mothers had it so easy, he had no problem with them!"

"You're lucky, you were just talking to Mrs. Swan…any questions you asked her, you were answered!"

After I finished doing my business, I shook my head at the conversation they were having. What gave Mr. Evenson the right to control Esme like she was his property? I didn't notice him treating anyone else like that! He was rude to everyone at the school, including parents, but why did he hit Esme and seem jealous of every guy that even looked her way? I could see the fire in his eyes when I tried to comfort the poor young woman. While the three of us left the bathroom, I started talking before I even realized I was joining their discussion. They were far away from me because I never really followed them past the entrance to the two restrooms marked 'men' and 'women'.

"Damn, it's like they're married or something!"

"Shh, he doesn't want anyone to know!" Esme cried. I had no idea she was coming out of the women's bathroom right next to me.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…I promised him I'd be back in a minute to use the restroom, and my minute is over…" She tried to smile but then she frowned.

"You should tell Charles you're married. That might make him back off."

"He's met my husband before…they're really good friends, actually."

"Your husband knows what he does to you?"

Esme looked down and nodded. "They're the same person."

"Wait, what?" I almost hollered, shocked. "You and Mr. Evenson…but why? You don't even have his last name!"

"Platt's my maiden name. I was forced into marriage with him, that's really all I can say right now…maybe tomorrow, I can tell you more. I really need to go. Just keep this between the four of us, Renee and Alice know already. Please don't tell anyone else!"

I came closer to her and leaned my hand against the wall next to her head. "I won't, I promise."

"Really?" She looked up at me and bit her lip nervously.

"Hey, I always keep my promises. The only one allowed to tell your secrets to others is you, whenever you feel comfortable sharing with anyone else."

"I know I just met you, but you seem extremely loyal…by the way, you better hide, he's on his way," she whispered quickly and gulped. "I've gotten used to his shadow after all these years, even when he's so far away from us and can't see that you're talking to me."

I felt her hot breath and jumped at how close we were to each other. I scanned the area for the principal, but found no sign of him. I walked away from the girl of my dreams until I felt a hard clap on my back.

"Jesus!" I gasped in fright.

"Go home, you wuss."

I didn't have to look up to know who was talking to me.

"Carlisle, let's go!" Will shouted at me from his wheelchair. I looked around and finally saw him and Lily waving at me frantically.

"Run boy, run!" Charles bellowed after me.

"Jeez, I thought he was gonna pummel you," Lily sighed with exasperation.

"Don't worry about me. I'm scared that he saw her talking to me."

"You had a look of pure terror on your face when he snuck up on you!" Will pointed out as Lily wheeled him to the car. I walked behind them and we all got into my Mercedes.

"Yeah, he just told me to go home and called me a wuss, but I thought he caught us…thank God he didn't!"

All of us sighed in relief.

I couldn't tell my friends that Esme was Charles' wife, but that didn't stop me from worrying about what was going to happen to her tonight.

I was anticipating seeing her tomorrow at Renee's house where she could be livelier and I could see her in the best mood possible.

That would be fun.

**So many things in this chapter to comment on...the phone call, Back to School Night, Carlisle watching Esme dance...**

**Also, please check out K.K. Fush's new story, Evenson House...it's really awesome and based on A Little Princess, but with Twilight characters, the main ones being Esme and Rosalie, and Carlisle and Esme have a secret romance with Charles being the principal there too! You will LOVE it!**

**Another story you'll enjoy is The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter which is a Twilight and Bones crossover. It's hilarious and about Carlisle and Esme running into Booth and Brennan one day...a fun read!**

**Thank you to reviewers **idealskeptic, K.K. Fush, MrsCarlisleCullen13, that kiwi chick, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, livi harkness, cuddyannie, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, Just4Me and k8ln713! I love the support here! Read and review please!****


	8. Night Out

**Thank you to my awesome beta idealskeptic and my two lovely prereaders K. K. Fush and TheMortician'sDaughter! **Happy Birthday, K.K Fush!****

****Esme POV:

"Where the fuck are _you_ going?"

I jumped out of my skin and my heart lurched violently. I hadn't realized he was standing right behind me when I had just gotten downstairs with all my things. Renee was coming to pick me up soon. I wanted her here so badly so I could get out of this horrid dump that he called our house. Sure it was a house, but it wasn't a home, nothing close to it.

"Renee's house, to sleep over," I spoke faintly. I was so nervous and such a bad liar. I was sleeping over, but I needed to leave out who else was joining us. I couldn't screw this up. I wouldn't.

He laughed darkly and pushed me against the wall. His mouth curved up into a nasty smirk and he guffawed. He was going to make fun of me, I was sure of it. "Sleep over at her place? Like spend the night? What are you kids gonna do? Giggle over boys? Play with your Barbies? Talk to your dollies? Isn't that what girls do at a sleepover? You guys are lesbian lovers, I bet!" Charles cackled evilly. "You and that weirdo Renee, ever since you were a kid...not many teenagers wanna hang out with a snot rag baby like you!"

I ignored his cruel comments. "Well, we're gonna talk all night."

"What about watching scary movies and throwing popcorn up in the air when the guy yells, 'BOO!' at the screaming little girls, huh?"

"W-we might," I stammered. His loud voice shook me to the core and he was the reason I hated scary movies. I couldn't even watch them with my girlfriends.

"Aww, well, have fun. God, you're such a big baby. Remember, if you get too frightened, you can always come home to your uncle Charles, sweetie pie," he said in a sick and childish voice. He patted my cheek and pouted at me. "Or you can call your mommy and daddy...wait, they're not here." He gasped. "Did something happen to them? Oh, child, no wonder you're so messed up in the head! You're fucked up, you brain dead moron!" He was laughing so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes.

I stared at him and blinked a few times. My breath was wavering, but I willed myself not to cry. I bit my lip and kept my eyes on my feet. I clutched my bags in my hand. He walked a few steps back and continued his cackling. "Such a fucking baby!" He pointed at me. "Loser! You're a lo-ho-ho-ho-ser!" He shaped his fingers into an L and placed it on his forehead. With his other hand, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey, twisted it open, threw the top into the sink, and drank as it dribbled down the front of his shirt. He whooped, "This is my thousandth drink tonight and I'm going back for more!" and started running around the kitchen, howling with laughter. "You can't even drink alcohol, you can't even drink alcohol! Nah nah nah nah nah, you're so stupid!"

_Well, you're just immature, you piece of garbage._

After doing that for a few minutes, he fell down and cried from being such a maniac. The doorbell rang just in time.

_Don't let him get to you. Remember, you are going to have fun tonight! Carlisle, just think about Carlisle!_

My mind's voice made me smile and just that thought let me escape without crying.

"Hey stupid, get the door," he snapped and then went back to his pitiful wails.

"Yes, Master," I said quietly and skipped over to open the door for Renee.

"Hey, Esme, you ready to go?" Renee asked kindly, giving me a big hug.

I nodded into her shoulder. "Yeah."

"What the hell is that noise?" she asked with a hint of a smile on her face.

"Charles," I answered with a roll of my eyes. "He was insulting me and then the next minute he fell over drunk as a skunk."

Renee poked her head into the kitchen while I stayed back. I had no idea what state he was in now. "Oh, Charles, stop sobbing. She's only going to be gone overnight. You can handle yourself, can't you? Esme can't take care of you all the time." She ran back to me, looped her arm through mine, and we rushed out the door. We held in our laughter when we got into the car. She revved the engine, stepped on the gas pedal, and drove off. I sniffled, remembering his previous comments. Even if he was drunk, he meant every single rude word he said to me. They were insults that stabbed deep into my heart.

When she noticed I wasn't giggling as much as she was, Renee took one of her hands off the wheel and glanced at me for a second. She wiped off a tear that was slowly dripping down my cheek.

"Thank you, Ren. He's so mean to me," I said weakly.

"Don't you cry, Ez. Tonight will be special for you. Do _not_ let him ruin your night, you understand me?"

"Okay." I nodded. "But he was reminding me that I had no parents."

"I'm glad I burned him, then. He's an asshole, inside and out. You know that. Just ignore what he says. It's not even true. When he recalls bad memories, think of the good times you had before he came into your life, and the greatest moments with me, your best friend. Are you ready to have fun?"

"Whoooo!" I cheered. "Oh, hell yeah!"

"Alright, that's the spirit!"

She pulled up into the driveway and parked. I got my things out and together we walked to her door. She opened it with her house key and we went inside. I wasn't allowed to be downstairs, according to what she had told me earlier.

"I got some things for you." She winked at me and I followed her upstairs. There was a purple flowy dress on her bed, and I gasped when I realized it was meant for me.

I took a shower just as Renee instructed me to do, and slathered myself with body lotion. She said a man liked smooth skin on a woman...and then she sprayed me everywhere with perfume. I wrapped the towel around myself and undid my hair that I put up and out of the way of the lotion and perfume.

Renee had me sit down in front of her vanity mirror. "What are you-OW!" I groaned as she brushed through my curls with a widetooth comb.

"Sorry, but your hair is frazzled and messy, my dear. I'm straightening it."

"But he's seen me like this before!" I protested, pointing to the messy side of my hair.

She rolled her eyes and tutted. "It's your first date...you have to look hot!"

I blushed. "Renee, it's not a date. We're just friends!"

"Really? You won't be after tonight," she smirked and turned me around to face the mirror. I had never thought my hair could be straight; I always thought it was frizzy and ugly. She blow dried my hair and ran her hands through it. "Perfect! I love making you over!"

"You're my doll next time, got it?"

"I promise I will be! Now for your makeover..." She took a bag out of her drawer and unzipped it. Bottles of lip gloss, lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow spilled out and I spotted blush underneath the pile.

"Wait, all this makeup scares me...you're not gonna make me into a prostitute, are you?"

"Of course not! Less is more!"

I sighed with relief. "Thank you so much for doing this for me...I will love you forever!"

She hugged me when she finished painting my face. "You're welcome. Oh, my little Ez is all grown up!"

I stared at my reflection. My eyes were lined in black and my lashes were curled and covered with mascara. I had dark purple eye shadow to match my dress and it was my favorite color. A light blush caked my face especially my cheeks. I pursed my dark pink lips, which were almost red and seductive looking with the shimmery lip-gloss she put on them. I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

"You like it?"

"Yes! Oh yes!" I cried, hugging her and jumping up and down. "You did an outstanding job!"

"Thanks! Make sure your hair doesn't catch on your lip gloss!"

"Oh that would suck!"

"I know. Now your nails!" She painted a pale pink polish on my nails and then I was almost finished. "Time to get your dress on!"

"I really owe you!" I declared, pulling it over my freshly shaved legs and adjusting it so Renee could zip up the back.

"There you go, sweetheart." She smiled, pleased with herself. "Just in time! You're gonna wow him tonight!"

A knock at the door sounded and then the doorbell rang. My heart fluttered in my chest and I almost forgot what to do next. I was grateful when Renee took my hand and led me down the stairs. "Please don't let me stumble in these death traps!"

"Never fear, baby. I've got you. Good luck, and remember, just invite him in for dinner with a surprise and a movie, I'll be in my bedroom, but I'll let you two use it-"

"Shut up!" I hissed and pushed her away as she chuckled while going back up the steps. She looked at me again when I looked back at her. "If he breaks your heart, I'll shoot him. But he has my approval thus far." She gave me a thumbs up when I shooed her away and rolled my eyes at her silliness.

"You're a true friend!" I told her and she cheered wildly. I laughed hysterically as I made my way to open the door.

The pounding of my heart increased as I unlocked the door, twisted the door handle, and let him in. My hands were shaking with nerves as I tried to find my voice. I had no idea what to do but just let my arms hang limply by my sides. He was in a suit with a purple tie, matching my dress perfectly. I knew Renee planned this and she was helping us out so much in our forbidden friendship, which I hoped would turn into so much more.

"Hey there, Esme," Carlisle greeted me, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Hi, Carlisle," I said softly. "Come on in."

"I'm so glad we could hang out," he commented.

"Me too...so, um, are you hungry?"

"Aaah, you remembered the way to a man's heart...through his stomach!"

I giggled. "Yeah...let's eat!"

"What's on the menu?" he asked me as we walked through the hallway.

"How do you like pasta?"

"Sounds enticing," Carlisle grinned and licked his lips. "Fettuccini Alfredo's my favorite!"

"No way! That's my favorite!"

"I think everyone with a sense of taste has that on his or her top ten greatest foods list," he said with a short laugh. Then he took in the scene surrounding us and both our eyes widened. She set up a candles and roses dinner for us? No wonder she wouldn't let me anywhere downstairs until he came! I was speechless. She was too sweet.

"Oh my..."

His eyebrows rose quizzically. "You didn't set this up?"

"No, I'm not this talented...um, my friend Renee did this for us." I sat down on a bouncy chair on one end of the little square table and he sat on the other end with a comfortable chair.

"Well, that was nice of her. She must be a special friend of yours, huh?"

"Ooohhh, yeah. We go waaay back!" I spied Renee, busy in the kitchen.

"So you and Renee are longtime friends, then?"

"Yup, to when she was almost fourteen and I was a little newborn baby."

"You were just a baby?"

"This small." I showed him with my hands. "The length of a keyboard."

"Wow, you were just a tiny thing...you still are, shorty," he teased and poked me in a spot that was extremely ticklish. I would have to keep that to myself. It was Renee's favorite place to tickle me when I was little.

"Hey!" I protested with a giggle. "I'm five feet two."

"My point exactly. I'm five feet six," he bragged. That was okay; I liked men who were just a few inches taller than me. What else should I say to him? I had no idea!

"Dinner's ready!" Renee sang before the silence got too uncomfortable.

When our eyes met, she was grinning like a Cheshire cat and my smile was so big it hurt. I tried not to laugh as she brought out a huge pot, walked flirtatiously over to us, and set it down.

"Your first meal of the day, soup!" she announced in a really bad Italian accent. I muffled my giggles with the palm of my hand. She lifted the top of the pot and we jumped as a head popped out and floated around the pot. I recognized it immediately. It was the papier-mache balloon that she and I painted to make it look like Charles. We always put it in boiling red tomato sauce so it looked like we were setting him on fire. We made it during one of our days out at an art and craft fair when I was ten or so. She squeezed my arm when Carlisle asked, "What is that?"

We both burst out laughing. "Charles fucktard Evenson getting owned by boiling hot liquid or drowning in his own blood!" Renee said through her gasps of air.

"Fucking bastard deserves every bit of his punishment!" Carlisle joined in our laughter.

"Damn right! It's the best way to go!" I agreed after I had calmed down from my giggling fit. She and I hi-fived and flipped our hair. That was our signature handshake.

"That's what he gets for being a nasty principal!" Carlisle exclaimed.

Our conversation died as we ate our dinner happily. Sometimes, I would look up from my plate at him and he would be smiling at me like he knew something I didn't. I felt him playing footsies with me under the table and I snickered beneath my palm. We were flirting without communication, and I loved it. I let out a squeal of surprise when he caught both my feet in his. That sensation in the pit of my stomach when he carried me a short distance was back. I had now been in his arms twice, but having my feet between his caused me to have the same excited reaction.

"You're never gonna let me go, are you?" I asked when we finished our food.

"Oh…sorry," he mumbled, looking ashamed. Our feet broke contact and we loaded our plates into the sink. Renee was ready and willing to do our dishes after she watched us eat while eating her own meal.

"Do you wanna watch a movie now?" I offered.

"Sure, or if you want, we can talk…I'd like to get to know you a lot better. You look too young to be married."

"I'm twenty-five now...my birthday is on June fifteenth," I let him know. "How old are you, big guy?"

"I'll be twenty-four November twenty-sixth."

I was so shocked that he was younger than me. He seemed a little older and he looked it too. I raised an eyebrow at him. "And your son is ten?" I quickly did the math in my head. Emmett's mom had him when Carlisle was only thirteen? Forget sixteen and pregnant...this guy had a kid in _middle school_! Wait, maybe he adopted Emmett…

"Yeah…I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable." He looked away and put his hands in his pockets. We both sat down on the purple couch in Renee's teen lounge. "Cool room by the way." I could tell he was trying to change the subject.

"Oh, no! I mean, I dunno…I just figured he was ten since he was in Carmen's fifth grade classroom…I assume that he's adopted."

"That's what everybody thinks because we don't look a lot alike. We both have blue eyes, but our hair color is different. I mean, his is dark brown, but mine is light brown, almost blonde. It's lighter than your hair. Emmett is my biological son."

"You were thirteen when you started raising him?"

"Around that age. I need to tell you something, Esme." A grave look crossed his face and I braced myself for what he was about to say. "My mom sucked my cock when I was changing one day…she had a crush on me when I started puberty. After my mom raped me, my dad beat the shit out of me because he wanted to believe that it was my fault."

"Oh my God, Carlisle, I'm so sorry…" I whispered with my hands over my mouth in horror. "I had no idea!"

"It's okay now, Esme. They're both in jail and I'm just happy I have Emmett. I rarely get nightmares, but it is disturbing to think about."

"And you couldn't beat her up? I thought men were much stronger than women..."

"Not her. She had a bull neck...she was like a sumo wrestler, double the size I was at thirteen...about Charles' size."

"She was huge like the Trunchbull?" I asked with wide eyes.

He nodded. "She could break my bones."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, my childhood wasn't very pretty..." I muttered, not really wanting to go all the way into it. It was too disgusting.

"I'm trying to picture you as a child...you must have been precious." He smiled at me.

I beamed. "Thank you. I actually have pictures. Wanna see?"

He nodded eagerly and I ran upstairs to get Renee because she kept a safe full of our pictures together in her closet.

"What's up, girl?" she asked.

"I need a lot of pictures of the two of us," I explained. "Please?"

She handed me a photo album full of our life together and then my fifth grade yearbook. "Here you go. Have a nice day."

I laughed at her proper tone. "Thanks, BFF!"

"No problem, BFF!" she replied and then I walked out of her room with photos and yearbook in hand.

I dumped all of what I had in Carlisle's lap. "There it is, from my baby pictures up until now. Enjoy them while they last!"

"Renesmee, that's what I'll call you two!" Carlisle teased me.

"You put our names together, that's hilarious!" I snickered. "Clever, man, very clever."

"Thank you. Now, where are you? In the P's?" He looked through the pages but when he couldn't find me, he was confused.

"I'm in the E's." I flipped the pages back and found myself. "Esme Evenson."

The young girl in the picture did not smile for the camera when the photographer told her to. Her eyes were emotionless and sunken in, like she hadn't had sleep in years. Her dark, straight hair was in pigtails, but her long bangs covered half her face and there was the faintest bit of a bruise on her jaw line. Her mouth was turned down into a serious expression, and suddenly I knew why. It was the day Renee had to leave. She had dressed me, but she was gone and I had nothing to be happy about anymore. The photographer asked me why I didn't smile, so I told him to fuck off.

Carlisle was staring at it with a dumbstruck look on his face.

"Say cheese my ass," was my only explanation for my depressed look in the picture. "Here's all the signature pages, filled with Renee's words of love she had for me. She wrote all of it when she came back."

"That was sweet of her." He grinned at me but still, his eyes looked troubled.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"But you said your maiden name was Platt…"

I was glad he wasn't focusing on the fact that I wasn't smiling in my school picture.

"It was, but Mr. Evenson, well, he's my uncle…he was in charge of me when my mom died." I stared down at my lap as I told my story. "My dad was killed in the war when I was two. Charles murdered my mom with his own bare hands when I was five. He tried to get me, but Renee, then eighteen and about to leave for college, saved me. My mom risked and lost her own life for me. Sometimes, I feel like I was the one responsible for her death."

"Esme, nobody would be guilty except the monster who did it. You were five, so you couldn't stop him from getting to you or your mom. I'm so sorry that happened to you and he's still torturing you today."

"I hid under my bed to get away from him, I remember rolling under there, and I still do it today. It's gotten harder since I'm bigger…did you ever have to do that?"

"I would try, but she'd always find me and play hide and go seek with me. It was torture and she got a sick pleasure out of it. My dad would whip a belt under there and when he heard my screams of pain, he would laugh demonically. It only lasted two years. Yours was for twenty years and counting…so you have a much darker childhood than me. When did Renee come back?"

"She came back when I was nine, just for the summer, though. She had to transfer to a two-year community college to get her masters degree in teaching. But her coming back for a few months was better than no contact at all. I had not spoken to her in years because Charles didn't let me talk on the phone. She knew he was a monster, so she made sure to come to my house before she stepped a foot inside her own little apartment. It was a good thing she did. She saved me in more ways than I can think of. I remember I was in my room and it was hot and stuffy, so I opened a window. I was wearing a puffy-sleeved brown dress, like Charles always made me wear and then wash, no matter what the weather was like. The door of my room banged open and I let out a shriek, not expecting him to come in without knocking. I don't know why I was so surprised; he never knocked. He stared at me for a long minute and took off his shirt."

I had no idea why I was telling him this. We had just met. It didn't stop _his _words from coming alive in my head, though.

_"Boy, is it hot today! And you're very beautiful for a nine year old. Not even double digits..."_

_I backed up, all the way to my closet, preparing to hide in there. "W-what do you mean?"_

_"It's about time you learn the male anatomy..." He grinned and unbuckled his pants. His wiener bounced out and bobbed in my face. "...Now this is a dick, cock, penis, whatever you wanna call it, but I want you to suck it like a hot dog or lick it like a lollipop. You love 'em, right? I can't put it in your ass or your cunt til you're eighteen. Just nine more years..." I shrank further into the tiny empty closet that only held my dingy brown jacket and a light gray sweatshirt. "Come on, don't be shy, little girl, just touch it." I had no idea what he meant, but I started shaking._

"What did he do, Esme?" Carlisle's voice brought me back to earth, and I jumped.

"He-he was trying to get me to give him a blow job and a hand job…but then Renee came to my rescue."

"Good, I'm glad," Carlisle said gently with a smile. "How come Renee didn't adopt you?" he wondered when I was on the verge of tears.

"She couldn't, because the people at Child Services believed Charles was capable of taking care of me. Really, I was the one who kept the house neat and cooked all the meals. My reward was to be beaten within an inch of my life, but he wouldn't dare touch me where it would show. Sure, I got a few broken limbs and a black eye or two, but Charles fooled the doctors into thinking I merely fell down the stairs and hit myself in the eye by accident. He forced me to tell anyone that who bothered to ask." I was sobbing at this point and trying to wipe my wet face with my hands without smearing my makeup. I turned away from him so he wouldn't see that I was an awful mess.

"Charles almost gave me a heart attack last night after I left you."

"Yeah, he's been known for scaring the shit out of people," I said in a wobbly voice, sniffling.

"I'm so sorry you've dealt with this all your life, Esme. But there is hope for you. Your mom is watching over you and Renee, and she would never allow either of you to die. She sent me to protect you, that's what it feels like."

My heart warmed at his words. Renee came into the room just then and turned on a movie. Carlisle sat closer to me.

"Do you want a hug?"

I was unsure. No man had ever been friendly to me before. I took a deep breath and allowed him to put his arms around me. It felt warmer in his embrace and we stayed in that position until the movie was over and it was time for him to go home.

**What did you think of this chapter? Favorite part? **

**Also, please check out K.K. Fush's new story, Evenson House. You will LOVE it!**

**Another story you'll enjoy is The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter which is a Twilight and Bones crossover.  
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**Thank you to reviewers **idealskeptic, K.K. Fush, MrsCarlisleCullen13, that kiwi chick, Just4Me, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, livi harkness, MileneLiraB, cuddyannie, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, and k8ln713! Twelve reviewers, wow that's shocking! Read and review please!****


	9. Warmer

**Thanks for beta'ing, idealskeptic and prereading, K.K. Fush & TheMortician'sDaughter! **

Carlisle POV:

As I drove home from Renee's house, I thought about Esme and everything she said. Her never knowing her dad-she didn't seem to care about that because she was only two when the war killed him. Her mom's death struck her the hardest, though. A family member-maybe not a close one-but her flesh and blood-killed the one woman responsible for bringing her into this world. That was the ultimate betrayal. Whenever I thought of Esme, I saw the scared little girl inside of her, those wide, green eyes, those tear stained cheeks...sometimes, I imagined her wearing high pigtails and grabbing onto her mom or Renee for dear life. I could only imagine how the bastard did it. How could a person wreck an innocent human being's life like that? The answer was simple. Charles wasn't a person; he was an animal who liked to torture his niece for his own sadistic pleasure. I wouldn't even refer to him as 'Charles' or 'him' anymore. He was now an 'it'. The old bastard treated a nice young lady like some rag. In its eyes, she was probably lower than a rag. Well, as the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. I felt like I was her knight in shining armor and her best guy friend all rolled into one. What struck me funny was that she was tiny with big hair and her crooked smile really enchanted me. She was shy, but that was okay, I would always encourage her to talk a lot more. I was so distracted from thinking of her beauty that I accidentally passed my house, so I had to turn around and drive right back.

Once I got inside my house, I noticed that Emmett was playing video games with Jasper and it was almost eleven at night. Since it was a Friday night, they could stay up until midnight. They didn't look up from what they were doing when I walked in the room.

"Hey, boys," I greeted them.

"Hi, Dad…how was your date?"

"I'm on a roll!" Jasper cheered. He was still concentrating on his video game.

"It wasn't really a date, kiddo…Esme and I just ate dinner and watched a movie for a while. It was pretty fun."

"If it wasn't a date, why did you dress up so nicely and spray cologne all over yourself?"

"I wanted to impress Esme…and she dressed up as well."

"Oh. Good luck."

"Thank you," I answered him and ruffled his hair.

The phone rang about thirty minutes later. "Cullen residence."

"Yeah…um, hi, this is Esme. I-see-I-I was sorta wondering i-if you could come over tomorrow for breakfast? Y-you know, in the morning at like nine?" a small, timid voice asked hopefully.

She was inviting me over for breakfast? Oh, this was going to be a blast!

"What are we having?"

"Renee's making waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and then we're gonna play in her backyard…she was wondering if you could bring your son, his friends, and of course, their parents."

"I would love to come," I said with a smile.

"Great, see you then. Have a good night."

"Sweet dreams."

"Thank you. Bye."

"Bye."

I dropped off Jasper at Lily's house after he finished his game.

"How was your time with Esme?" she asked me.

"It was wonderful. You were right; she is in a poorer situation than we were. She lost her parents and had to live with and marry her sadistic uncle Charles Evenson." I whispered. Her eyes widened.

"Poor baby," she murmured.

"I know. Anyway, she invited us for breakfast at Renee's house."

"Really?" Emmett asked excitedly.

"Yay! I've never been to a teacher's house before!" Rosalie squealed.

"We're going to our teacher's house! This is so cool!" Jasper exclaimed. "Can we bring our friend Alice, Mama? Pleeeeease?" He tugged on his mom's shirt and she laughed.

"Of course we can, buddy. We'll take my van since both of our families are going."

"Thanks, Mama!" Rosalie shouted and ran into another room. I heard her calling Alice to invite her. Naturally, Alice could come, since her parents didn't care what she did.

The next morning came quickly. Emmett and I woke up with empty stomachs and got into Lily's van. I was driving since I knew exactly how to get there, and Will was in the passenger seat next to me. Lily and Jasper were in the middle seats while Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett sat in the very back.

"Who's this cute little girl?" Lily asked, referring to Alice as the three kids took their seats behind her and Jasper.

"Alice Brandon, ma'am."

"Hey, Alice…you're Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett's new friend, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, now, none of that…I'm Lily, Jasper and Rosalie's mom."

I looked in the rearview mirror to smile at everyone behind me and I chuckled when the kids starting singing, "Jingle bells, batman smells, robin laid an egg, the batmobile lost a wheel, and the Joker got away! HEY!" They repeated different versions of that song until everyone groaned. It wasn't too long of a car ride, but they were treating it like a road trip. I couldn't blame them, though. It was only fifteen minutes away, but to a kid, fifteen minutes seems like an eternity. Jasper got bored and started hitting Will's folded up wheelchair that separated him and Lily.

"Hey, son, you'll hurt yourself," his father warned him. Lily put her hand over Jasper's to get him to quit his random behavior. He was now moving on to something else.

"We're stupid for our ages…it wasn't Evenson who said that…it was Mike and Jessica. They're right, you know," Rosalie mumbled and looked over at her twin brother who was speechlessly trailing a toy car across his lap.

"Guys, you're great, just the way you are. I may be a genius but I'm too short for my age. Have you noticed that I'm the size of a three year old?" Alice asked. "I'm a runt!"

I turned onto Renee's street and parked on her curb.

"Kids, please stop verbally abusing yourselves! Emmett, you're dyslexic and you can't help it. Rosalie, ignore those dumb kids because you guys are better than they are. Alice, I've just met you, but I can tell that you have a good heart." I reassured them. "Jasper, have you been paying attention to what your friends and sister are saying?"

He didn't look up from what he was doing, so Lily took the car away from him. "Hey!" he shouted. "Mama!"

They each had a certain disability due to being results of incest. I didn't know about Alice, but I assumed that she must have just been born that way. Rosalie was gullible and too trusting of people, so she had a hint of William's Syndrome, a developmental disorder. Jasper was slightly autistic with obsessive-compulsive disorder and didn't speak to anyone if he had something in his hands. He often had to be redirected. Emmett was dyslexic with Asperger's Syndrome, but he seemed to be fine socially.

"I want my car!" Jasper whined.

"Jazzy, it's okay…" Lily said and rubbed his arm soothingly. "You can have it back but we gotta get out and see Ms. Bloomingfield. Wanna go back to our place after we play at her house, Alice?"

Alice nodded excitedly and all the children followed us out of the car.

"Royce invited me to his house!" Rosalie announced. "He's my new friend that I met at the park."

"I don't like him," Emmett decided.

Rosalie turned around to glare at him. "Be nice."

"Well, Rosie, we've never met him before," Jasper protested. "He's a stranger!"

"Maybe you can have us come with you?" Alice suggested. "Bad things can happen when you're alone."

Rosalie looked puzzled. "Bad things? Like what?"

I closed my eyes. They were too young to be having this conversation.

"He might hurt you. Remember when we were spying on Mr. Evenson through his office window?" Emmett reminded them while getting his homework.

"Oh yeah. But Royce is nice. He wants to have ice cream with me. He's only twelve…your brother's age, Alice."

"What happened in Charles' office?" I wondered aloud.

"He hurt her so bad, Carlisle…he looked like the Hulk! Poor Ms. Platt," Alice said sadly. "We saw him yank her by the hair and smash her into a wall! And she told me some stories that I shouldn't repeat. She can tell you herself if she feels up to it."

The pain crushed me like someone threw a brick at my chest. I hated the thought of her getting beat by anyone. She was too innocent for that kind of bullshit.

"Carlisle, are you okay?" Jasper asked. His disability made him strangely aware of people's emotions. It was amazing how people with disabilities could do so much.

I shook my head. "I'm alright, bud, thanks for asking."

"I'm glad," he replied as Rosalie knocked on Renee's door. She opened it with a grin when she saw us.

"Come on in, kids...Carlisle, nice to see you again."

"You too," I replied as she let us inside. "Lily's helping Will out of the car. Is it okay if his wheelchair rolls around your floors?"

"It's more than okay. You guys are my friends...besides, we'll be mostly outside. We're having an Indian summer and it's as warm as a morning in July."

"You're right on that."

"Hi, Ms. Bloomingfield!" Rosalie and Jasper shouted at the same time. They each latched onto one of her legs and she started giggling.

"Hey, guys! How are you?"

"Good," they answered slowly.

"This is what a teacher's house looks like?" Jasper wondered aloud to himself.

"It looks like our mama's house! I thought it would be really different!" Rosalie added.

Renee shook her head. "Nope, teachers have lives too, you know. What, did you think I would live in a castle? Sorry if you were disappointed. Anyway, off my rambling, you can call me Renee when you're not in school."

"Who cares about a castle? Renee all the way!" Rosalie laughed.

"Yay!" Jasper agreed. The twins jumped up and down, holding hands.

"Where's Esme?" I wanted to know.

"I was getting to that...she was washing her face in the bathroom the last time I saw her, but-oh, here she is!"

I turned around to see her walking down the stairs in Hello Kitty pajamas with her hair in low, sexy pigtails. The loose pants were neon pink with a Hello Kitty pattern and had a drawstring. The tank top matched it perfectly. I thought she looked adorable. She blushed immediately. "Renee, I thought you would at least hide him before I got dressed. Some friend you are!"

"You look great, Esme. Don't worry about it...Renee's in her jammies too." I insisted.

"But she's wearing a purple flannel nightie and I haven't even put on my makeup!"

"Hey, at least you're not wearing a long t-shirt over your undies," Renee pointed out.

"I wish I could throw a pillow at you, you dumb...never mind," Esme mumbled quietly as the kids threw themselves on her.

"You look pretty, Esme!" Alice complimented her teacher.

"My daddy likes you in _anything_," Emmett added and gave her a suggestive wink. I pulled him to my side by his shirt.

"Please forgive my son. He doesn't know what he's talking about," I muttered. Now, I was embarrassed.

Esme nervously twirled one of her pigtails around her finger. "Okay. Aw, thanks, you guys!" She hugged both kids and then it was Rosalie and Jasper's turn to be in her arms. "I swear to God, it's so hot in this house! Whoo!" She fanned herself and skipped right past me into the kitchen. I heard her greeting Lily and Will as I followed her blindly to get my plate. Renee served everyone and we all sat out in her backyard. The sky was a fresh bright blue color and the air was warm, as Renee had said. After we hungrily devoured the food and gulped down orange juice, the kids started playing with different colored butterflies. The adults drank coffee, all except for Esme. She said it burned her mouth too much and cold coffee was boring.

There was a lovely rose garden that Esme was currently watering. I noticed that she tended to the red ones first, and then the purple ones, yellow ones, and pink ones, in that exact order. I watched her bend down and touch them tenderly. Renee and Lily were pushing the kids on the swings and down the slide. After the kids got tired of those activities, Renee and Lily engaged into deep conversation with somber looks on their faces. The girls had monkey bar races and then complained of calluses, so they moved onto making daisy chains. The boys ran around the yard and made random noises. Will looked bored as he watched his children have fun.

"Mama, I'm gonna fix your hair!" Rosalie announced with delight.

"Alrighty, then, baby girl." Lily sat down in one of the chairs and Rosalie stood behind her. The little girl braided her mom's hair in a very messy style, but it was endearing to watch.

"Oooh, Mama, you're pretty, go show Daddy!"

"What do you think, Will?" Lily playfully fluffed her braid and batted her eyes at her husband.

"It looks great. Come here, my girls, sit on my knees." He beckoned them over.

"Esme, I got a sliver from the monkey bars!" Alice moaned.

"Oh, no…" Esme squinted and shaded her eyes with her hand in the bright morning sun. "Who's got tweezers?"

"I have them in the house," Renee answered her. "Come on, I'll show you."

They walked back inside the house with Alice following them. A few minutes later, they returned. Renee sat next to me and Esme put Alice in her lap on the grass.

"Ow!" Alice shrieked when the tweezers pierced into her skin.

"Let me see it, baby. It wouldn't hurt so much if you stayed still. Shh…There! I got it! Want a Band Aid? It's bleeding a little."

"Okay." Alice sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"She's such a mother," Renee commented with a grin and handed Esme a Band Aid.

"All better now?" Esme asked and kissed the scratch that the Band Aid now covered up.

Alice smiled and nodded. "Yes, thank you, Esme!"

They hugged for a moment and then let go of each other. Alice jumped out of Esme's lap and went back to playing with her friends. This time, they were all trying to get a yellow butterfly flitting around in the aqua blue sky.

"Aaah, to be young again," I breathed out as Esme sat on the other side of me. Renee left us so we could talk privately.

"This was my life until _he _came into the picture." Esme stared at the children sadly. "They're so light and carefree…I haven't felt that way since I was five, you know, before I became an orphan. When I go to Renee's house or my teaching job, I feel at home. Renee and I laugh like teenage girls and being around children makes me happy. I feel like I can be myself when I'm not around…_that man_. It's unseasonably warm for October, isn't it?"

"This is very rare weather," I agreed.

"Don't you love flowers? They're so beautiful…too bad I can't smell them anymore. I remember floral scents like perfume, but I can't physically smell them. I was whacked in the nose and that sense was gone. Luckily, I haven't lost anything else."

"I'm sorry about that."

"At least I can see them."

Rosalie and Alice ran up to us and showed us some daisy necklaces they made. "Look, we got daisy bracelets on our wrists! Do you want our necklaces? The boys don't wanna match with us," Rosalie said and they both showed off their flower jewelry again.

"Renee and Lily liked them…is it because boys don't wear flowers?" Alice asked.

"Flowers are too girly for me," I responded. "I know someone who might love them…Esme?" I took the flower chains from the girls' hands and put them around Esme's neck. She grinned brightly.

"Oh my god, thank you!" she cried. "I miss being little."

The girls ran off as we shared a genuine smile.

"I just want to know, though, what was your favorite activity when your mom was alive?"

Esme thought for a moment and then drifted into a memory with her eyes shut.

"Planting and growing flowers. I barely remember my life before I was two or three. Unfortunately, _he_ tainted my life ever since then. I never knew what evil was until I turned two.

"I remember the day my uncle came over for the first time. I wanted to show him something, a purple and pink Barbie scarf that someone knitted for me. He threatened me that if I put it on, he'd choke me with it, so I threw it at Renee and was like, 'here you go, NayNay!' and scampered away. I used to call her NayNay back then, since I couldn't say her full name.

"She followed after me with my uncle saying he was just kidding, but I didn't believe him one bit. She was all, 'don't you ever talk to my Ezzie pie so rudely and violently again. You really scared her! I will run you over with my new car next time you do that. Do you understand me?' Then she murmured to me, 'come on, honey'. She picked me up and cradled my head against her shoulder.

"He chuckled, 'aw, whatever, kid can't take a joke'. That made Renee really mad and I was crying. I was now afraid of him and didn't even want to know his name. My dad died in the war and he pretended to act as the father figure, even though he was rarely around. I didn't want him there anymore. I thought he was nice until he said those words. My mom hated him and so did Renee. They loved to protect me from danger. I had no idea how my uncle was so scary, but he just was.

"After that horrifying experience, I helped my mom and Renee plant flowers. 'You're such a good helper, baby girl,' my mom complimented me with a kiss on the cheek. 'Mwah!' is what she used to say when she did that.

"And this is how I used to talk: 'I like the lellow one and the pink and the boo and the puple...all pretty flower for me, Mommy, and NayNay!'"

I laughed at the imitation of her as a little girl. "You sounded so cute. _It_'s a monster, though."

She grinned at me and continued her story. "I giggled when she and Renee both were kissing my cheeks, and sometimes, they liked to hold my hands and swing me around between them. 'I love you, I love you, I love you!' Mom squeezed me tight that night after Renee had gone home.

"'Love you too, Mommy' I laughed as I was showered with kisses. She made everything better during the night and Renee made my days go by fast because I had so much fun with her. The love from both of those women rained down on me and made me shine."

"They grew you into the woman you are today."

"Yeah, they did," she beamed.

"And you had sweet childhood nicknames for each other."

"Thanks. It just shows how close we were, and still are. We're this close-" She crossed her fingers.

Time flew too fast while we were having fun because pretty soon, Esme had to get dressed so Renee could drive her back to _its_ house before noon. Everyone hugged each other goodbye and we were all looking forward to Monday.

The next few weeks were filled with Esme and I secretly trying to become closer friends. Pretty soon, it was Halloween. Will stayed home to pass out candy while Lily, Renee, and I took Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and their new friends, Vera, Peter, and Charlotte trick or treating. Esme was at Renee's house to pass out candy in case any of us bumped into Charles or accidentally knocked on his door. It was a good thing she was safe at Renee's house because Charles opened the door, yelled that he didn't have candy, and attempted to throw his drink all over us. Some people were so childish on Halloween!

When we got back to Lily's house, we dropped our princesses, monsters, and Star Wars characters off to eat their candy. Renee drove me back to her house where Esme was waiting for us.

"You're very popular," Esme giggled as we both walked inside the house and closed the door behind us.

"All the candy is gone?" Renee asked in disbelief. "Aw, crap…luckily, I have a lot stored in the pantry. You guys can watch a movie if you want."

"Okay!" Esme said excitedly, and I agreed.

Renee bent down to a cabinet below her television set and opened the doors. "Go crazy, have a scary movie marathon. See you later, kids." She got up and left the room. I took her place and picked through the movies. Esme sat down beside me and looked at all the titles.

"How about this one?" I suggested, holding up _Jaws_. She shuddered and shook her head frantically, so I put it back with a sigh. I really wanted to protect her in a scary movie.

"Can we find something less gory?" she requested. "Besides, I'll have nightmares for weeks."

"So not _The Grudge_ or _The Ring _either?"

"Nope. _Hocus Pocus_ is better; it's kinda scary but funnier. I like witches; they're not that bad. Vampires are okay too, as long as they're not draining people dry. I wish she had vampire movies…"

"Maybe we can find something on television if you're more in the mood for vampires?"

"Yeah. _Hocus Pocus_ is a last resort."

Esme flipped through the channels quickly until we found a movie where a vampire was seducing a human, but not biting her. It looked romantic, but scary too. You could see the fear in her eyes.

"That looks good. What is it called?"

"I dunno, but let's see it, it's kinda interesting." Esme sat back onto the couch. When it was over, we started _Hocus Pocus_.

"So you just like happy endings where nobody dies?"

"Yeah, I can't stand seeing people die. Sorry. Too much blood, guts, and sadness."

"You have a point. In my opinion, it's just acting and fake blood. Mostly for scare, you know."

"Since I've lived through it, I can't handle it," she explained with a shiver.

Pain sparked through me and I suddenly felt guilty. "I apologize."

"It's fine," she mumbled as we started watching the movie. Towards the middle of it, I pretended to be tired, yawn, and stretch-but I put my arm around her shoulder. She shifted herself closer to my side but kept her hands folded in her lap.

"I put a spell on you, and now you're mine…" Esme sang along to the witches in the movie.

"Yeah, you did," I answered her, but mostly to myself. She didn't seem to hear it, so I was good.

A chill suddenly ran through an open window. The warm night we were having had just ended, much to our displeasure. It wasn't too bad, but I had to put my jacket back on.

I felt her goosebumps as I ghosted my fingertips up and down her arm. "You cold?"

She looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes and nodded.

"Alright," I sighed and grabbed the nearest blanket from the couch. When she settled herself further into my side, I draped the purple throw around us both. "All better?"

A satisfied murmur that sounded like, "Mm-hm," came out of her lips as she laid her head on my chest. "I've seen these last few scenes way too many times…it's been a long day…" she slurred.

She looked so cute curled into my side like the way she was. By the end, she was sleeping comfortably on me, but my arm was tired and numb. I didn't want to wake her up, so I just carried her bridal style upstairs. Renee heard my footsteps and came out of her room.

"She's sleeping like a baby. Here, I'll show you where we both sleep, and then you're free to go home," Renee whispered very quietly.

I followed her down the steps and walked into the brightly colored room. Renee made the couch into a bed and I laid Esme down on a soft, pink pillow. Renee put a blanket over her friend's sleeping form. The moonlight coming from the window really made her shine. The lights were turned down low, but not all the way off. Renee plugged in and turned on a purple nightlight that was shaped like a star.

"She has a nightlight?" I was concerned for Esme, since my son was ten and he didn't need one anymore.

"She's afraid of the dark. When she was five, Charles kicked her Snow White nightlight and it broke causing the room to explode into pitch blackness. When she changed her name back to her maiden name and got her own house, Charles blacked out all the windows in her house and put her in a covered cage overnight when she was a child so she never slept with a dim glow of moonlight shining on her...so she needs this...it gives out the faint reassurance that she's okay." Renee explained and ran her knuckles down Esme's face. "She's darling, isn't she?"

Esme smiled peacefully in the soft light even with her eyes closed. I felt so stupid for even questioning why a traumatized woman would require a nightlight. The answer was so obvious.

I nodded. "Yes, she is."

This month with Esme was fantastic. I wanted to know everything about her besides her sad past-from her favorite colors, flowers, and movies to her dreams and goals in life. She was so special and important to me that I would do anything for her. She was an angel to me.

**Please check out K.K. Fush's story, Evenson House & ****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter!**

**Thank you to reviewers **idealskeptic, K.K. Fush, MrsCarlisleCullen13, that kiwi chick, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, MileneLiraB, SnapTobiume10, TeamCullenx, Just4Me and k8ln713! 100th reviewer gets a sneak peek of chapter 10! Read and review please!****


	10. Growing Friendship

Esme POV:

_"Esme, you know what I do when I'm really, really upset about something?" Renee asked in a soothing tone._

_I turned up my tear stained face to look at her. "What?"_

_She wiped my cheeks and brushed back my hair with her fingers. "I count to ten. If I'm all by myself, I scream as loud as I can. You do the same, okay, sweetie?"_

_I nodded and blinked back my tears. "I will, sissy," I snuggled into her lap and hugged her around the waist._

__"I'm here for you, baby. We're eternal sisters."__

_"But when he comes here, you have to go home. Your mommy picks you up."_

_"I know," she said sadly. "I wish my mom could take you in, but she says Charles is a nice man."_

_"No, he's not. He hurt my mommy and she's never coming back!" I wailed. I took a deep breath and gasped through my tears. "Is it okay if I scream now?"_

_"Yes," she allowed me and kissed the top of my head._

_I let out an ear-piercing shriek. My heart was hammering hard in my chest, and it hurt. Another one left my lips until I couldn't do it anymore. My voice was weak. She held me tighter in her arms as my sobs grew louder. I was shaking and cold, even though I was bundled up for the freezing winter day._

_Charles towered over me, pried my hands from Renee's neck and my legs were ripped off her waist and he practically shoved her out the door "Get to college, kid!" I was petrified as we faced each other for a long moment. Finally he spoke. "Now your new life has begun. Bye bye, Mommy! See you never, Renee! So long, daddio! First things first: there's no Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy-you get nothing for your birthday or Christmas and I'll knock out your baby teeth before they're even loose!" _

_"You're a liar! Liar liar pants on fire!" I started to cry. "I want my mommy and Naynay! I want my dolly!" _

_"Too bad they're gone," he taunted me."Cry baby, cry baby, dry your little eye, baby." _

_"NOOOOO!" I stamped my foot on the floor a few times. "STOP IT!" _

_"Now the temper tantrum is really going to annoy me...QUIET! SHUT THE HELL UP!" He kicked me down to the floor until my sobs ceased. "Here's the rules of the house...clean this place up spotless. If i see one speck of dirt, I will make you feel sorry you even dared to breathe on my property!" he threatened me._

_The first meal I cooked for him was a large steak. Since I had no idea how to read big words, I ended up burning his dinner._

_"Sawrry Unca Charles, I dunno how to cook and I'm too little to see over the counter..."_

_"Shut the fuck up! Go to bed, you little runt!"_

_"But I'm hungy!"_

_"But I'm hungy!" he mocked me. "Go, shitface!" He grabbed me by the legs and swung me over his shoulder. I was thrown on my bed with great force and his looming figure was still there. I got under my covers and tried to hold my rag-doll, whom I named Ali. He grabbed her out of my hands and ripped her clothing to shreds. "That's what I'm gonna do to you one day, you rotten imbecile!"_

_"No!" I squeaked in horror. I was absolutely scared out of my mind. "Mommy and NayNay got me Ali's only pretty dress, and you ruined it!"_

_"You're a lousy pest and I'm going to hurt you!" He threw my Ali doll somewhere under my bed where I found her later and he twisted my arm so much that I screamed and felt a bone crack._

_"Owie, owie!" I cried. "NayNay, Mommy, help!"_

_"They can't...they can't..." the voice echoed inside my head._

I woke up crying. Even though I was at Renee's house and I had a pleasant time with Carlisle last night, I had a nightmare because of the bad and rainy weather. It had started in the middle of the night and wouldn't let up.

Renee heard my sniffles and asked me what was wrong. "Did you have a nightmare again, Ez?"

"I can't fall asleep with this noisy rain…it's making me have sad dreams every time I close my eyes! This time, I relived you leaving and then my first day with…_it_. That's how he refers to the asshole, as a thing, not a person."

"Because _it's_ not a person. I can cheer you up. Don't worry about the rain…just cover your ears and think exciting thoughts, okay? Wasn't it fun last night?"

I sighed. "Yes. Why am I in jeans and a shirt?" I asked as I looked down at myself.

"You fell asleep on Carlisle and he carried you to the couch where we both laid you down, put a pillow under your head, and covered you with the blanket you have on you now."

"I actually…snuggled with him?" I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Well, that's what I assume. You've been friends for a month now, so it's perfectly fine. You two look so sweet together."

"That's true. You know, even though I'm a year older than him, I feel so much younger…if he has a crush on me, I'll take longer to crush on him back, since I don't even know how to love a man."

"Don't worry about that. You guys cuddled for one night. It's not like you have to get into some romantic sex pose or whatever…you take your time."

"Okay, good, now I don't feel pressured." Relief filled my tone.

"Are you saying you don't have a crush on him now? You were ready to jump him the first time he came over."

I gasped and pushed her to the side. "I was not! I just…no other man has ever given me a speck of attention before…it was new to me," I defended myself.

"I know, I was kidding."

I stuck out my tongue at her. "You're so mean."

"I'm the only one who can do that shit to you."

I giggled as she pulled me in for a hug. "Yeah, yeah…but then I have to get you back. You're almost forty and you don't even _have _a man to see every Friday night, so HA!"

"Fuck!" she shouted just as I exclaimed, "You!" and we both gave each other the finger.

"Sorry, but I had to do it!" I giggled.

"Okay, okay!"

We were soon rolling around on the floor and cackling like crazy people on drugs. And that is how, at three in the morning, my best friend managed to make me happy again after my moment of depression.

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"Just wondering, how exactly did Renee save you when you were nine?" Carlisle asked me the next Friday night.

"I heard Renee scream at him, 'OVER MY DEAD BODY! LEAVE MY EZZIE PIE ALONE, YOU SICK, UGLY PEDOPHILE!' Her feet pounded up the steps and he turned around angrily. My heart sped up at the sound of her voice.

"I thought of the baby name I had for her, NayNay. I finally learned how to say it when I was five, but I liked saying it when I was really scared."

He nodded in understanding.

"'Get away from me, you cunt!' he yelled, shaking his fist at her. She took a can of what looked like pepper spray and aimed for his eyes. In a second, he was on the ground, howling in pain and fiercely rubbing at his eyes.

"I bolted out of my room where I was previously frozen. 'NAYNAY!' I shouted and ran past him as fast as my little legs could carry. She knelt on the floor with her arms out. I jumped into them and cried into her shoulder. She carried me down the stairs and out the door to a nearby park. We sat down on the bench together. She rocked me in her arms until I calmed down. I kept burying my face into her shirt as I tried to explain what he wanted to do with me or to me. My face was streaked with tearstains after I finished sobbing for about an hour. I put my thumb in my mouth again as I fell asleep in her embrace, and she gently took it out. I also never dropped my habit of sucking my thumb when I went to sleep. I put my thumb in my mouth when he was around me and doing these things as well."

I also then remembered how she comforted me.

_"Ezzie pie, you okay? I got you, shhh..."_

_"NayNay, what's a pedophile?"_

_"A bad person who wants to touch children in inappropriate places or have them touch him or her in a private area of the body."_

_"I didn't like what he was showing me! It looked gross! Eeeewww!"_

_"You poor baby..."_

"I would curl myself up in the tiniest ball I could manage and rock myself to sleep. I hugged my knees to my chest whenever he came in my room. I knew it would get worse as I got older."

When I was eleven, before she left for college again, Renee told me what young girls go through when they hit puberty. It didn't sound pretty. I didn't want blood coming out between my legs. I didn't want developing breasts. I hated looking beautiful. I wanted to be ugly so he wouldn't touch me.

"After he sexually assaulted me, I considered running away. No, he'd just come and find me. He was very smart. I was his obsession. He would do anything to come after me. It was no use to try and escape. He took me to school and I stayed there until the bus came to take me home. He only brought me to school so he could look normal in front of all the other parents or guardians.

"One day after school, I took a pair of scissors out of a drawer. Without thinking, I grabbed one of my braids and opened the blades. Snip, snip. Bye bye braids. No more cute little girl. No more good looking preteen. Hello Miss Emo.

"My next step was dressing completely in black. I put my hood over my head and it nearly covered my eyes. I realized something was missing, or rather, still there. My bangs. So I chopped them off as well.

"The next day, everyone ignored me; they thought I was a Goth freak. Me changing myself didn't stop Charles. He beat me but never molested me. He just touched me where I didn't want to be touched. I had no friends in middle school. I was shunned and sat in the back of every class. I was known as the weird girl who never spoke a word to anyone. I wanted to hide. I wanted to be in my own world where nobody could hurt me. I wanted to be safe, me, myself, and I. Without Renee, I couldn't be a normal person. My middle school life was a living hell.

"I couldn't take it anymore. When I turned fourteen and started high school, I took a razor to my wrists. I cut myself until I was too faint from seeing all the blood. My blood that spilled by Charles' cruel hand, and I just made it worse. I don't know why I was living when my parents had died. Why didn't he kill me too? Why was I the lone survivor?

"He had a dress code, ever since I turned twelve. In my rebellious stage, I had to wear a black corset like they wear in saloons. It made him go crazy. He even had one of his whores cover me in ridiculous looking makeup. I looked like a prostitute. I felt dirty when I wasn't even being touched. When I was, though, I took a long, hot shower until it scalded my skin. Sometimes, he joined me. There was never intercourse. Again, he wanted to keep up his false front.

"My hair was growing to my chin now. It was time to cut it off again. Two years...almost three. Renee should be back any minute now. The tension was unbearable. I should have shaved my head. But I had no idea how to. I was too afraid to do anything like that."

My underwear and bedsheets were soiled with bloodstains because I didn't know how to use a pad or tampons. I got my Advil from the school nurse and I was too much of a bitch in school for anyone to help me.

Why did these thoughts have to flow from my brain now? I was just glad I wasn't speaking many of them aloud.

"I was eighteen and Renee was thirty-one when I got raped."

I had just told him everything without shedding a tear. He was still as a statue, quiet and he had a serious expression on his face. He let me talk, but now, it was his turn to speak.

"Carlisle?"

"Hit me as hard as you can," was all he said back.

"What?" I was confused. I didn't want to hurt him. He was a nice guy.

"Just try it. It lets out all your emotions. I do it sometimes; I use a punching bag that I have in my room. I would never strike a woman."

"Y-you sure?" I cautiously got up from where I was sitting.

"Positive."

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "You asked for it."

"Be as angry as you want!"

Everything I previously confessed to him, plus everything Charles had done to me recently and in the past, came whooshing out of me as I punched his shoulder with all my strength. I smacked him across the face, leaving a red mark, and we both winced at that. I swore at him, pretending I was yelling at Charles. He grunted but let me do it again and again until I collapsed in his arms and burst into tears. I was furiously shaking as he tried to calm me down. I shrieked into his shoulder and he rubbed my back in soothing circles. After about five minutes, I took a few deep shuddering breaths and wrapped my arms firmly around his waist. The mark I made on his face was slowly fading away.

"Did that make you feel better?"

"Yes, thank you. Does it hurt where I punched and slapped you?"

Carlisle shrugged. "Yeah, but I'll survive."

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"Ms. Platt!" Emmett called after me one day after school. I turned around to see him, Rosalie, Jasper, and Lily. It must have been her turn to drive them home today.

"Hey, what's up, bud?"

"We're gonna get my dad a birthday present. Wanna come with us? You seem to like him a lot!"

"I'm sorry, I have to go home…my husband's gonna be mad if I'm late."

"We'll get you home before your husband's back," Lily assured me. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"We'll be back by four!" Rosalie promised.

"Okay, then," I laughed.

The kids cheered when I ran towards Lily's van and got into the passenger seat. "Did he tell you anything about me?" I asked her.

"Yeah, because I saw you in the bathroom and remember, I was worried about you?"

"Oh yeah…I never knew you were Carlisle's best friend…I saw you again at the meeting with Charles."

"It's a small world after all."

That made the kids break out into song, _It's A Small World After All_, and we chuckled quietly at their randomness.

The kids bought him cool shirts and Lily got him a pair of nice pants. She gave me money because I felt like I had to get him something. We'd just met, but we were very close already. I purchased a black watch with a gold face for him and a gift card to what Lily told me was his favorite store. She wanted to talk to me privately in the bathroom, so we did.

"When he raped you, did you get pregnant?" Lily asked me.

"Yeah, but luckily, it was while I was in college. When I gave birth, I was passed out on pain drugs and they told me my baby had died of SIDS."

"Oh my God..."

"I wanted to hold him or her but they wouldn't let me! I don't even know if it was a girl or a boy! There was never a funeral for the baby since Charles told me he made the infant into ash and sprinkled it all over!"

"I could only imagine how you must have felt. Thank God Rose and Jasper survived. You know, my father got me pregnant when I was fourteen, but I was drugged, so I barely felt a thing."

"Still, I'm sorry, Lily. That's terrible and very degrading."

"Don't worry about it. You've dealt with so much and you're not even thirty yet."

"I think my situation might be getting slightly better. Renee helped me survive all these years, but someone else is filling the cracks as well." I smiled and blushed as I thought of Carlisle.

"Ah, the birthday boy!" Lily knew I was talking about him! I nodded and we both walked out of the bathroom. She paid for everything we got and we were finished shopping. I was home just in time.

!#$%^&*()!#$%^&*()!#$%^&*()!#$%^&*()!#$%^&*()!#$%^&*()!#$%^&*

Thanksgiving came the week after we shopped for Carlisle's present. Charles' friends were over to watch football. He invited them and himself to invade my house and act like animals. They all gave me creepy stares as I served them their huge dinner and he allowed them to slap my bottom. I turned on the game and went upstairs to get ready. They got so drunk they didn't even see me slip out the house to go to Renee's for a sleepover, secretly celebrate Carlisle's birthday, and have Thanksgiving at her house. Charles called me a bitch and told me to go kill myself.

Lily knew where I lived since she dropped me off once, so I ran down my sidewalk with my things and met her at a stop sign. She opened the car door and motioned for me to get in.

"Hey, Esme! We're gonna pick up Alice now...all the presents for Carlisle are in the back seat with the kids."

I smiled at her. "Thanks!"

"Hi Esme!" Rosalie and Jasper greeted me cheerfully and I gave them a happy wave back.

A few minutes later, Lily stopped at Alice's house and the little girl skipped out her front door. She was so happy to see us and she was soon crammed in the back with her friends, in between Rosalie and Jasper. I turned around and Alice was able to give me a giant hug.

"How did you escape?" Lily asked me.

"It was too easy. He was drunk and told me to go die, basically, and his friends were there and watching the stupid game with him...they were all distracted. I had to cook for them, but the delicious food didn't tempt me at all since I'm gonna have Thanksgiving at my best friend's house," I sniggered.

"You go, girl!" Lily laughed and gave me a high five. The kids in the back echoed her.

In minutes, we arrived at Renee's place. She ushered us inside and ordered us to sit down and relax because she had everything covered. She knew that I had just worked my ass off on Charles' dinner with his friends. I hung out with the kids while Lily insisted on helping. Renee agreed with a roll of her eyes, and I could hear them cooking in there.

The kids later set the large round table and I assisted them with the name cards. The order was Renee, me, Carlisle, Emmett, Rosalie, Lily, Jasper, and Alice.

Carlisle and Emmett came knocking at the door as soon as I rushed into the bathroom to fix my hair after the car ride. I wasn't sure why I cared so much about my appearance if we were just friends. I tried to run to the door, but the kids beat me to it. They all hugged Carlisle and Emmett hello and then disappeared with Emmett. I wasn't sure where Carlisle's presents were. I didn't even know when we were celebrating his birthday.

"Esme, happy Thanksgiving," he said while wrapping me up in a warm hug.

"Thanks, Carlisle, you too. Oh, and happy birthday as well."

"Right, I almost forgot about that," he joked. I giggled and shook my head.

"You didn't forget your own birthday!"

"Yeah, I just like to play around with one of my favorite girls."

"I...I'm your other favorite?" I asked uncertainly. "What about Lily?"

He shrugged. "I met you. Something changed...you're one of my best friends now."

"You're sweet," I mumbled shyly.

"So are you," he complimented me back. I blushed and gave him another hug.

"Esme," he said and held both my hands in his. I was startled at his touch as he rubbed the tops of my hands with his fingers. "I was wondering if we could ever-"

Carlisle was interrupted when Renee called out, "Esme! Carlisle! Get your lazy asses in here now!" in a teasing manner. He let go of my hands and sighed.

We linked arms and walked into the kitchen to find everyone gathering dishes of food and placing it on the dining room table. What was he about to ask me? I was too curious all through dinner. The food was delicious as I wolfed it down, but I could barely concentrate on anything but him. His hand felt so good around mine as we said Grace and I felt empty when we were no longer touching. He thanked everyone for the presents and the happy birthday song. He proudly wore his watch that I got him and he said it was the best one he'd ever gotten. I really wanted to talk to him in private about what he was going to say, but there was never a time. We had chocolate cake and pumpkin pie for dessert, which resulted in whipped cream being squirted into the children's mouths for a while. Thanksgiving dinner and Carlisle's birthday on the same night was way too much fun. I just couldn't stop wondering what he was about to tell me. I felt too awkward asking him about it because I figured that he'd drop it or forget it. It might not have been that important if he never said another word about it.

At the end of the long evening which had turned into almost midnight, everyone had to go home before the rain became too much for one to drive in. Quick hugs goodbye were exchanged and all too hurriedly, there was just Renee and I in her house. We got into our pajamas and sleeping bags. By the time we had finished getting ready for bed, the rain was pouring so hard that I could actually hear it splashing on the roads. We were lucky we were under a nice roof and inside a warm brick house. The fire was blazing and we huddled around it.

"I don't think I can fall asleep with all this rain...it sounds like a tornado out there!" I breathed out.

"I hope it won't be too bad overnight. I'll play loud music we both love so we don't have to listen to the rain." Renee got up, blasted some cool tunes, flipped on my nightlight, and put out the fire. We bundled up in our sleeping bags and smiled at each other before drifting off to sleep.

"Night, Ez."

"Good night, Ren."

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed. Renee was sleeping soundly but she had her sleeping bag halfway over her face. It was almost two in the morning when the storm started. The wind howled and trees crashed into each other outside. I didn't want to close my eyes again, in fear of getting a nightmare. Being awake during this horrible weather was bad enough. Nature was beautiful, but tonight, it was one of the scariest things I'd ever seen. The loud noises made my heart rate go up at a dangerously fast pace and the lightning illuminated something that resembled my uncle, so I screamed. "Oh God! Renee!"

She was dead to the world, so I shook her.

"Ohhh..." she mumbled.

"Sorry, but I'm terrified of thunderstorms. If I go back to sleep, I'll get a nightmare about Charles brutally murdering my mom! Mind staying up with me?"

"Sure, let's raid the refrigerator!"

"I love you, girl," I said gratefully as we both got up. She turned on more lights and it was so much better. We watched television even though the screen flickered. The comfort food made my body settle down and I no longer had to fear anything.

Too bad we never thought of power lines being destroyed. The room went completely dark and I shrieked.

"Shit! There goes the electricity! I gotta grab a flashlight...here's my phone." Renee tossed me her phone and I only caught it when I saw the small light coming off it.

I heard her leave and I started whimpering. I hated blackouts. There was shuffling around upstairs and swearing when Renee bumped into something and hurt herself.

"You okay?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"I'm fine!" was the reply. "Why don't you call Carlisle?"

Tears were starting to run down my face as I found his number in her contacts list. I clicked on his name and pressed the phone to my ear. I rocked back and forth, whispering, "Please pick up, please pick up," over and over until he finally answered.

"Renee...er, Esme? What is it?" he asked through a yawn.

"I'm frightened...please don't go, please stay!" I begged him and curled my knees up to my chest.

"Do you want me to come over?"

"Y-you don't have to...just talk to me until the lights come back on!" I cried.

"It's just a short car ride...I really don't mind."

"I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I'll be right there."

"You'll die out there!" I screamed as I heard him rustling around, probably getting his jacket on.

"I'll be fine, I promise, Esme."

"But your son!"

"Emmett's sleeping. He doesn't mind blackouts. You need me more."

A hand touched my shoulder and I jumped with a shout. "It was only Renee...I'm okay..." I said softly to myself as she flicked on the flashlight and held it between us.

"Don't get killed!" I sniffled into the phone. My heart was pounding and I was working hard to breathe evenly.

"I'll see you soon."

I really needed him to hurry.

**Please check out K.K. Fush's story, Evenson House & ****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter!**

**Thank you to reviewers **idealskeptic, cuddyannie, livi harkness, ********Just4Me, ********MrsCarlisleCullen13, ********K.K. Fush, that kiwi chick, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, TeamCullenx, and k8ln713!****


	11. Building Something New

**Thanks for beta'ing, idealskeptic and prereading, K.K. Fush & TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Carlisle POV:

She needed me.

It was two in the morning; my son was sleeping, it was raining heavily outside, and I was sitting up in bed, yawning and rubbing my eyes open. Despite my tired state, I would be there for her. Regardless of the weather, she would have my comfort. Emmett would be okay waking up by himself tomorrow morning if I had to stay there all night. I just had to leave him a messy note telling him I was at Renee's and to call me if there was any issues. I taped it on his door and was out in the cold within seconds.

I was drenched immediately as I grabbed my keys out of my pocket and opened the car door. I revved the engine, but my car wouldn't start. _Just great!_

I ran as fast as I could to Renee's house, splashing in puddles and ignoring the fact that I was now soaked to my skin. It was freezing and I was disoriented, but this was all for Esme.

I rapidly knocked on the door and there was a loud shriek, which I guessed was Esme's. Renee opened the door and let me in. "You're not Charles, are you?" she asked while shining her flashlight in my face. I squinted and shook my head.

"Okay, just checking, I didn't think you were. Esme's in a very paranoid state right now," Renee warned me. "She thought Charles rapped on the door. You should approach her calmly...she's balled up under a blanket right now."

We entered a room Renee named the teen lounge where I heard Esme whimpering softly under the covers. I bent down to lift them off of her, but she jumped when she felt my presence.

"I'm not going to hurt you." I promised. "You'll be okay."

"It's only Carlisle," Renee added and Esme slowly wiggled herself out of her sheets so just the top of her head and her eyes were peeking out.

"Oh..." she sighed with relief. "Carlisle, you came!" She brushed her hair out of her eyes and grabbed the flashlight from Renee. "You're so wet...was the thunderstorm really that bad outside?"

"You call that a thunderstorm? It was a tornado! I ran in the rain because my car wouldn't start. I had to get to you as fast as possible. You needed my help. I'm here now."

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that, really."

"I wanted to, though."

She ducked her head, but I saw her blush and smile. My heart couldn't resist doing a little flip when she did that.

"You've got to be freezing," she commented nervously and chewed on her lip.

Water dripped off my face and onto the bed. I was shivering and I tried to ignore it until she actually said something about my appearance. Footsteps made themselves known as I was handed a towel. "Thank you, Renee," I said and dried myself off.

"You're welcome. I have some matches right here to start a fire...Esme, your flashlight, please? The phone doesn't give off enough brightness."

Esme's eyes widened and she clutched the flashlight to her chest. "You should have bought two."

"That flashlight is good enough for lighting up half a room. Trust me, you'll be fine. Carlisle's here, so that's a plus." Renee reassured her.

She gulped and handed Renee the flashlight.

I really should have brought an extra change of clothes with me so I could get warm and dry a lot faster. I excused myself to the bathroom, got undressed, and wrapped the towel around my hips. I tied it tight to make sure it stayed in place. When I came back in the room with my clothes dangling from my arm, both women looked over at me in shock. Esme gasped, blushed a deep apple red and hid her face in her hands. Renee pressed her lips together and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's just that my clothes would dry a lot faster if they were...off me. I have to drape them on a chair near the fire and my skin is almost dry without those clothes. Is it too awkward, me being in a towel?"

"It's fine," Esme mumbled while Renee tried to keep a straight face and not laugh.

"I'll take your clothes," Renee sighed and I handed them to her. She wrung them out with the water creating a hiss of steam in the fire and laid them on a chair.

I helped Esme get up in a sitting position and wrapped my arms around her to both create body heat and protect her. The room warmed up as the flames appeared in the fireplace. They licked the logs and the hearth, creating a nice, calming atmosphere around us. I had to keep my little man down when she was in my lap. Fortunately, the towel was thick and I thanked my lucky stars for that. Her clothes were thin and I had to stop myself from feeling all of her soft curves under that little shirt she had on...it was so hard when she wiggled closer to me to get comfortable. I hoped she wouldn't accidentally pull the towel off..._Not the time or the place, calm down, she's not even your girlfriend, idiot!_

"I can't go back to sleep. The thunder rumbling and harsh winds outside scare me to death. The flashlight won't last forever...I don't remember the last time Renee and I used them. My mom was attacked in this kind of weather." Esme shuddered.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I told her gently as Renee handed her back the flashlight. "Let's make a fort." I was trying to be sweet so the feelings of lust would go away.

"A fort? I briefly remember doing that with Renee when I was very little and sometimes my mom would join us." Her voice cracked. "Do you make forts with Emmett?"

"He loves doing that. I bet he's done that every time he's slept over at Lily's place with Jasper and Rosalie."

Esme smiled her beautiful crooked smile I loved. "That's really awesome. You probably feel too old for forts, though."

"Hey, I'm the one who suggested it," I insisted and pulled the blanket over both of our heads. I stacked up a few pillows on either side so the ceiling of the fort could be a bit higher than where we were sitting.

"So, what should we do now?" Esme asked.

"Did you ever make shadow puppets with a flashlight and your fingers?"

"A long time ago, with Renee...I was too young for that stuff before my mom died, so I never did it with her."

We had fun making bunny ears, dogs, and even butterflies. Esme held the flashlight under her chin, making her look extra spooky but sexy at the same time. "It's time to meet your doom!" she growled in a witchy voice. "Muahahahaha!" she laughed demonically.

I pretended to be scared. "Oh my God, please don't kill me! I have a wife and children at home!"

Esme giggled. "You're funny."

"Thanks, but I'm not as clever as you."

"Ha fucking ha." Her tone turned sour as she looked down, ashamed of herself. "I'm not clever at all. That was me being babyish."

"No, that was cute," I protested while she blushed. "You're clever because Charles never caught you coming to see me at Renee's house."

"Yeah, he has no idea she invites guy friends. He thinks she has no life because she was my only friend...the joke's on him." Esme smirked. "He likes me to come here because it makes me look childish when I sleep over at a friend's house. He makes fun of me, but it's worth it, you know."

"Nobody can stop him, but at least you're having a great time. Dumbass," I snickered.

Esme giggled along with me and nodded. "Changing the subject, wanna hear how Renee got me to quit sucking my thumb?"

"Sure."

"Renee told me she'd have to break me out of that habit. She pulled out a Band Aid from her bag she had with her and wrapped it around both my thumbs. It tasted terrible the next time I tried to suck my thumb. My reaction was naturally, 'yucky!' and she asked me, 'now, will you ever suck your thumb again?' and I shouted, 'no!'. She said, 'good, because I didn't want to have to tickle you!' Of course I whined, 'no, no!'. I was giggling and squirming out of her grasp. She tickled me for a few seconds and I got her back. Pretty soon, we were laughing together. She was like, 'there's my baby sunshine,' She kissed my forehead. 'All better now, darling?' I called her my big sissy and I thanked her gratefully. I told her I loved her. She said she loved me too and called me her angel girl. Whenever I looked down, she'd part a curtain of my caramel curls to reveal my face and say, 'Hey, I wanna see your cutie pie smile...' I'd look up at her, beam, and say hi really excitedly. She'd say, 'Hi there, missy!' She'd tousle my hair and tap my nose. 'You're such a pretty girl. Mmm...'" Esme imitated her little girl's voice and Renee's motherly voice to a T.

"She rested her chin on top of my head, rocked me from side to side, and we sat there in comfortable silence. We listened to life at the park until it got too dark and she was forced to take me home.

"That was one of the many adorable moments I had with her. They were short, but sweet. I just had to tell you some melancholy things last week, just to get it off my chest before I started crying." She bit her lip and looked at the floor nervously. "Renee has a pool, but it opens in the summer." I could tell she was trying to switch topics, but I wanted her to vent to me. We were friends and we could now trust each other with secrets, good or bad. She hugged herself around her midsection and I gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"You can tell me anything you want. Don't be shy. I won't judge you. It's okay, Esme. I understand your point completely. If you're more comfortable with sharing happier parts of your past, you may. She's your hero," I said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'll love her forever. Renee fixed my hair in pigtails, ponytails, half ponies, braids, or just brushed through my tangled hair. She taught me everything I needed to know and I could wear whatever I wanted when we went places."

"That's wonderful."

"She couldn't go to college until Bella was two and she and her boyfriend decided to break up. Secretly, I was glad, but I did want her to get her teaching degree as soon as she could. I still needed her and her boyfriend Charlie was too busy with his cop job." She paused and thought some more.

"I hate to interrupt you, but Charlie arrested my parents when I was fourteen and he was thirty. Bella was six."

"Renee was twenty-nine and still caring for me when I was fifteen."

"You're so good with kids, by the way. It was like you were made to be a mother." She smiled at my compliment. "In fact, do you have children of your own?"

"Sadly, no...I can't have children..." she trailed off with a sniffle. I was afraid I just offended her. My question brought on Esme's sudden tears.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It's my fault..." she wept. "I lost my baby to SIDS and the rest were miscarriages. I couldn't keep any of them alive."

"Esme, please stop blaming yourself. Did you drink alcohol or smoke during your pregnancy?"

She shook her head no. "_He_ kicked me multiple times all over…I guess that was the cause of all my miscarriages and the first one dying suddenly. I did things that made him mad…I deserve it. It's my punishment." She broke off into sobs. "There wasn't even a funeral! _He _made it into ash."

"_It_ had no right to do that to you."

"Oh, God, look at me, I'm crying on a gorgeous morning…" Esme wailed.

"Hey, don't worry about it...come here." I pulled her in my arms again after a few hours of sitting side by side. I didn't realize how hot it was until Renee made the sheet collapse on us. She threw it to the side of the room immediately.

"Sorry, I was watching the fire all night. Hope you two didn't suffocate."

"We're all right," I assured her, and Esme hummed in agreement.

"I got a little upset, that's all. Having babies is a sensitive subject for me. It's okay, Carlisle, you didn't know."

Renee put out the fire and gave me back my clothes. "The lights just came back on...the storm's over with...congratulations, you two just survived pulling an all nighter. I need to take a nap." She yawned loudly and exited the room. "Wake me up at noon, Esme, please."

"I will, don't worry. I'm tired as well," Esme sighed and leaned back into the pillow. Pretty soon, I had to set my phone alarm to wake us all up at eleven so Esme wouldn't get in trouble for being home late. After I changed back into my now dry clothes, we had a deep sleep, only a six hour nap but it was better than nothing.

At promptly eleven, I woke up and let the women sleep a while longer. Lily picked me up at quarter to twelve with the kids in tow. Apparently, they begged to come so they could say hi to Esme and Renee. My birthday weekend was one of the best I've ever had. From that night on, I slept over at Renee's house whenever Esme did. The girls slept in the teen lounge and I was in the guest room.

The boys wanted to sleep over at Peter's house while Rosalie was spending the night at Vera's one of the Fridays, so Renee invited Lily and Will to sleep over as well. That particular night, I had to sleep on the couch since Lily and Will were taking up the guest room. I woke up to quiet footsteps down the stairs and the girls laughing silently. Esme and Renee said good morning to Lily and it sounded like they were scooting chairs into a table to sit down and talk. I wanted to eavesdrop since they had woken me up.

"The girls are up before the boys, I see," Renee commented. "Let's make chocolate chip banana pancakes!"

"With whipped cream?" Lily asked excitedly.

"Yes!" both Esme and Renee answered in unison.

Lily laughed. "You guys are awesome. You remind me of sisters."

"That's cuz we are," Esme stated proudly.

"I wish I had a big sister like you are to Esme, Renee."

"You grew up an only child?" Renee asked.

"Yeah, did you two?"

"Mm-hm," Esme said as I heard bowls being plunked down on the table. They were starting to make the pancakes now.

"Thank God for my big brother. I don't know what I would have done without him."

"You can be in our little group. We'll be like the Charlie's Angels," Renee giggled.

"Yeah, or Carlisle's angels...since he befriended us all," Esme contradicted her.

I loved when she talked about me behind my back in a nice way. It was so sweet of her to think of me.

"I'm his oldest friend. Not sure who he's known the longest out of you two," Lily announced.

"Well, he met me first...just seconds before he saw Esme," Renee told her.

"That's true, but he and I talk a whole lot more. You help us out by giving us a place to talk," Esme added. "I really like him, you know. I told him my whole story and he just stood there and let me beat the shit out of him.

"Oh, he did that with me too!" Lily said giddly. "He's such a gentleman, isn't he?"

"He is," Esme agreed in a softer tone than what she was speaking in before.

"One of the great reasons why he's my best guy friend."

"That's funny, Lily, he's mine, too," Esme muttered coldly. "How long have you known him for?"

I stifled a chuckle when Esme talked sharply with a hint of envy in her voice. She had no need to be jealous. Still, it was cute.

"We met in college, medical school to be exact. We both had kids born out of incest. We have so much in common that it's scary."

Renee must have felt the tension in the room because she interrupted them. "Well ladies, these pancakes aren't gonna cook themselves. Mind flipping a few over?"

"Oh, sure," they mumbled.

"So you guys are co-workers?" Esme pressed for more information.

"Yeah. Would you ever wanna be a nurse?"

"Nah, I'm sticking to teaching. Blood and guts are not for me! Freaks me out!"

"Oh well, every woman for herself. That's your choice."

"So you guys see each other every day, twenty-four seven?" Esme demanded, her voice going higher and higher with each word. Something clattered to the floor and Esme said innocently, "Oops, that was an accident!"

"Making wild hand gestures isn't always the best idea, Esme," Renee scolded her gently. "I'll clean this up."

"It's only flour on my socks. No big deal," Lily murmured.

"I'm sorry, Lily. It's just...hard for me to...imagine him with...someone else. I-I know you're just longtime friends, but sometimes...that can change."

"Relax, I have a husband! We can fuck like animals..." Lily insisted.

"Alright! I believe you! Now shut up!" Esme cut her off and all three women burst out laughing.

I decided then that it was time to intervene. I stretched and yawned loudly, pretending I had just gotten up. At the same time, Will shouted from upstairs, "Do I smell breakfast?"

"Yes, you do!" Lily hollered back at him and ran up the steps to help him down. Meanwhile, Esme left Renee's side and entered the room I was in, so I quickly sat up and rubbed my eyes all the way open.

"Good morning, Esme," I said sleepily.

"Morning to you too." She sat down next to me. "Did we wake you?"

"Oh, no, not until everyone was laughing," I lied.

"Yeah, we were joking around, you know...Lily was telling us about her sex life and Renee was bitching about her nonexistent love life. I was just...being quiet, I guess. So you and Lily seem to be best friends. That's nice for you guys."

Esme was beating around the bush, but I just wanted to get to the point. "Esme, Lily and I have been friends for a long time. We met through traumatic experiences but we've both gotten good things out of it."

Her face fell. "Oh. That's cool. Your kids...I understand. The bond would be...tight." She looked down at her lap and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Do you want to know how she met Will?"

"Um, sure, that would be okay." Esme glanced at me for a second and bit her lip.

"She was his nurse and I was his doctor. He used to be in the war, but then he was paralyzed from the hips down. One look in each other's eyes and they fell in love instantly."

Esme smiled a little. "Aww, that's sweet. What about you? Anyone special?"

"Nah...I don't waste time going out with someone who I'm not that attracted to. Not worth my money either."

"Do you like...Renee?" she whispered.

"Yes, because she's helping us be friends behind Charles' back. I like her as a friend, though, not in that other way. I don't really like anyone romantically."

"You're a player," Esme joked, but there was some hurt in her voice.

"I have guy friends too, you know!" I defended myself.

"Like who?"

I felt like I was being interrogated, but I answered her anyway.

"Charlie, Will...I don't have that many friends. There's my co-workers who are men, but they're not close to me. Lily and Renee are sisters to me."

"You and Lily have known each other for four years..."

"But I feel like I've known you forever. Lily is still important, but I felt that way about you in such a short time, whereas she had to wait."

"Why do you feel that way?" she asked, hiding her blush with her hair.

"We've talked a lot...Lily acts like a guy when we're alone together, but the two of us...we seem like a man and a woman, not two dudes joking around at some bar. She's boisterous, you're not, really."

"What am I to you? A more girly friend?" Esme put her hand on her chest and looked at me quizzically.

"Yeah, you're more...innocent." I tried to word it correctly and prevent her from being offended.

"Innocent?"

"Soft-spoken, gentle...you're not like any other woman I've met before."

"You would have been creeped out by me when I was in my emo stage...I was all rough and harsh. I hated myself, the world, and everyone in it. I've punched people out of my way before and given them the finger."

"I'm sure they deserved it."

Esme grimaced. "Hardly. They asked me why I hurt myself because I looked so sweet or something."

"You _are _sweet."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Okay. They were concerned for me and I just...pushed everyone away."

"But you didn't do that to Renee."

She shrugged. "Why would I?"

"Let me rephrase it. You never pushed _me_ away. And those people were just being nosy idiots."

"You never forced me to tell you my story. That's why I let you be my best guy friend. Lily's right, you _are_ a gentleman. You didn't even wolf-whistle at me or look down my shirt. You're probably the best doctor in the world." Esme stared at me with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I've never met a man with such compassion for anyone, especially kids. Wow, I-I must be growing your ego, huh?" She blushed brightly and looked away.

"Don't let me get a big head," I teased her.

"I would never. Guys like that are not my type."

"Have you been asked out when you were in high school or college?" I wondered aloud. "It was so rude of me not to ask you previously."

"No, no, it's fine...I wasn't really liked by anyone. Or hated...I was basically ignored. When they paired people up to do projects, nobody picked me."

"I would have picked you," I stated warmly.

"Yeah, we all know you're different." She waved my interruption aside with a grin. "My fellow students didn't groan when the teacher was like, 'go sit with Esme' or something, but that was only because they didn't have a partner either. It was always awkward. They were just a loser because they were antisocial and they wanted to be left alone. I was an antisocial loser because of my life. Maybe there was a special reason they were always by themselves, but I was too afraid to ask.

"I was nominated for homecoming queen as a joke, but luckily, I wasn't dumb enough to believe I would actually win because I didn't even run. This group of immature boys invited me to their smoke-filled houses and catcalled at me, but I just passed them without a word. I took this really well. When I was cornered, I told them my uncle didn't let me date and they threw their heads back and laughed. Thankfully, they ran away before anything horrible happened. What occurred at home was bad enough.

"Inside, I was screaming and crying like a banshee, but on the outside, I pretended like it didn't even bother me. I was icy in elementary and middle school, but in high school, I was nonchalant. College was better, people weremore mature there. Besides, I was away from _him_ for a long time. I visited Renee on my breaks. It was cool."

"I really wish I was at your high school so I could knock those assholes out of your way and show them what I was made of," I said bitterly. My protectiveness was taking over and I felt the need to swoop her in my arms while slaying all of her dragons from the past and present.

"Don't worry, only my uncle hurt me, nobody else," she said quietly. "It's over and done with."

"You're still dealing with him now. I can tell you won't back down without a fight. You're strong in your mind and in your heart," I told her honestly. "You know what you want and you will stop at nothing to get it."

"I don't feel that way." She curled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her hands.

"If you were weak, would you rebel against Charles by coming here?"

"I would be too scared to...I still am afraid he'll swing by here or something." She shuddered and gasped as she released her knees. "That's why Renee picks me up and drops me off here. Charles doesn't know where she lives and he doesn't care."

"See, that just shows you're not a wimp. Come on, Esme, you _are_ brave, you just don't know it."

She looked at me sheepishly. "Well, I _did_ rescue Alice from the Chokey," she admitted. "He was standing right there and he did nothing to punish me...maybe he's waiting for the right time to do it. Maybe I'm courageous, deep, deep down inside."

"Breakfast time!" Renee called to us and we both got up to join her for chocolate-chip banana pancakes. We had them with whipped cream and strawberries and they were the most delicious things in the planet, besides waffles.

Still, I couldn't stop looking at Esme as we ate. Every day, I fell harder and harder for her charms. I couldn't wait until the day she confessed she had feelings for me.

**Please check out K.K. Fush's new story White Picket Fence and ****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter!**

**YAY over 100 reviews! **Thank you to reviewers ******TeamCullenx, ********livi harkness,****** **idealskeptic, ********Just4Me, ********that kiwi chick, MileneLiraB, ********K.K. Fush, ********CarlisleandEsme, ********TeamCarlisleandEsme8, ********TheMortician'sDaughter, and ********MrsCarlisleCullen13!******  
><strong>**


	12. Invasion of Privacy

****Thanks for beta'ing, idealskeptic and prereading, K.K. Fush & TheMortician'sDaughter! And by the way, Happy Valentines Day everyone! I know it's not the most romantic chapter&doesn't fit the holiday, in fact this one's kinda dark, but oh well. Enjoy it anyway lol. At least the beginning's sweet. ****

**Warning: This chapter contains rape and a flashback hinting at pedophilia. Before each of the scenes, there is a warning written in bold allcaps.**

Esme POV:

"When did you start being a teacher?" Alice asked me as we took a random stroll along the snow-covered path, not really caring about heading to a specific destination. We just wanted to chat and reconnect. After all the months I'd spent with Carlisle, I felt like I had left Alice in the dust. Luckily she had made friends with Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper as well.

"I started being a teacher when I was twenty-three and Renee was thirty-seven. Now, she's thirty-nine, but she still looks so young. She saved me when Charles was gonna hurt me. She told me that when I was an infant, Charles took me from her arms and squeezed me so hard that I cried. My parents weren't home, but Renee was taking care of me. Charles broke in the house and tried to take me away from her, but she fought hard. She protected me like she was my own mother, and she really was my mother when my biological parents died. My mom watched over us and made sure we stayed in contact with each other over the times we were apart."

"So your mom is an angel!"

"She is."

"So are you, Mommy."

My heart stopped. "What?"

Alice looked very embarrassed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Platt, I mean, Esme…I called you 'mommy' by mistake!" she apologized.

"That's okay, sweetie." Oh, how much I wanted to be her mommy though! She was too perfect for me.

"I was named Mary Alice, but I prefer Alice. My parents and my brother call me Mary or other names I'd rather not repeat…but I'm glad you and my other friends call me Alice."

"I like Alice better than Mary…it sounds prettier."

"Thank you. When's your birthday?"

"June fifteenth. I'll be twenty-six. What about you, missy?"

"I'm turning seven on April ninth."

"A-April ninth?" I whispered shakily. Those memories stung me like a bee. I was so devastated when it happened. I was nineteen when the little nudger growing inside me stopped living when it came out of my belly. Alice's birthday was the same day that my baby's was.

"Yes. Esme, are you okay? Did I say something?" she asked worriedly.

"I-I'm fine, Alice. You know, I was supposed to be a mother…but my baby died of SIDS. I was knocked out from painkillers and when I woke up, my baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck. I didn't even know if it was a girl or boy. It was the doctors who told me it was a girl. A beautiful little girl…I just keep remembering those words they said…'We're so sorry, Ms. Platt, your baby is dead…sudden infant death syndrome,'" I swallowed hard, but the tears still came. That man took away my innocence and the only good thing to come out of it was gone forever. All I really had was Renee, Carlisle, and now, Alice. The other teachers kept me sane, too.

"Ali, I don't mean to cry…"

Her small hand filled my open one. "I didn't know grown-ups cry…they seem too busy to be upset. Sure, they get mad, but I've never seen anyone past the age of twelve cry. Not even my brother cries!"

"There are many things in this world to cry about, dear."

"I'm really scared for you! You're so brave!"

"Not as much as you are, sweetie."

"But kids get afraid more than adults do."

"Oh, believe me, adults get scared too."

"I wonder what Charles…Mr. Evenson is afraid of."

"He's very superstitious. Once, he passed a black cat, barked at it, and kicked it into a tree."

"Poor kitty. I hope it was okay."

"I think it survived."

"I hope so. We should get your doll. Where is she? Ali doll, right?"

"Yeah, she's under my bed…but we can't, otherwise he'd catch us." I looked up at a large white mansion with purple shutters and gasped. "That's my childhood home." How did we wind up here?

"Let's go inside!" she shouted eagerly.

"No, Alice. You never know where he's hiding," I whispered fearfully.

"He's not even here! Come on!" She broke into a run, so I had to go after her.

"Alice!" I waved her forward. Why did she have to be so curious?

"Oh, Miss Platt, don't be so petrified! He left the door unlocked. What an idiot!" Alice yanked the door open and beckoned me to follow her, so I did. I took hold of her hand and we stepped inside.

"Wow. Oh, my," Alice breathed and looked around the place.

I pointed to a wall where a painting of Charles was. "My mother's portrait used to hang there."

"Whoever painted Charles must have had a strong stomach. A really strong stomach."

I jumped when I heard a car running into some leaves and then a frustrated yell.

"We should go." My eyes trailed over the room and then I noticed a tin of cookies. "That was my mom's cookie tin. After dinner, she'd take a soft chocolate chip cookie, break it in half, and she'd always give me the bigger half. When she died, Mr. Evenson would count them so I couldn't sneak one. He'd take a cookie, bring it to his lips and say, 'much too good for children'. The one time he let me have one, it was an oatmeal cookie. I hate those, and he knew that, of course."

Alice shook her head and sighed. "Have one."

"No, he'll notice."

The top was lopsided and I hoped he wouldn't think anyone took one of his precious cookies.

"Where's Ali doll?" she wondered aloud.

"Upstairs."

I should have known she'd do this. "Alice!" I called and chased after her.

"Run!" Alice shouted at me.

"This is my room." I nodded at a door and opened it for us so we could walk inside. Right away, we saw a picture frame with a photo of my mom and I inside. Renee took it of us a few days before my mom was killed.

I smiled knowingly. "That's my mom, Anne Platt. Renee snapped a picture of Mom and I. She said we looked so adorable together."

Alice peeked under the bed and pulled something out. "Is that Ali doll?"

I gasped. "Yes. Oh my God, I've missed her so much!" I reached out to touch it, to hold it, but we heard Charles hollering.

"Brandon, you useless used car salesman scum! I want you around here now, with another car!"

My heart sped up and I grabbed Alice with me. We were trying to escape the house as fast as we could. We quietly tiptoed to the top railing next to the stairs.

"Yes, I know what _caveat emptor_ means, you lowlife liar! I'm gonna sue you. I'm gonna burn your showroom! I'm gonna take that no-good vehicle and shove it up your ass! When I'm finished with you, you're gonna look like roadkill! You what?"

We looked over the stair railing and saw him bellowing at some poor sucker on the phone. He glanced at the cookie tin, saw that the top was lopsided, he sniffed it, and that's the moment we knew that he knew someone was inside his house. We gasped, now afraid.

"Come on," I urged her.

"Shouldn't we hide or something?" Alice asked in a small, frightened voice.

"Yeah, yeah, go to the end of the hall, down the stairs, and out of the kitchen. I'll distract him," I said quickly.

Alice ran down the hall and Charles bellowed, "WHO'S IN MY HOUSE? Boo! Come out and fight like a man!" I peeked out from behind a door while Alice huddled under a ladder. She snuck out successfully into the kitchen.

Suddenly, I heard him coming. Even though I was frozen solid and shaking inside, I threw a heavy shot put ball against the door, ran out, and concealed myself to avert his attention.

Alice bumped into a mop and made things fall down, trying to create more noise. He skidded across the hallway, making pots and pans come crashing to the floor. Charles heard the noise and jumped over the stairwell. "Tallyho!" he exclaimed. The phone was long forgotten. He landed on the floor with a loud bang. I saw dust come up from where he slammed his shoes into the hardwood floor and I gasped. I was so scared for Alice. He could do anything he wanted to me but he wouldn't dare touch her!

Charles looked around the kitchen where he heard the noise. I tiptoed down the steps, he lifted up the tablecloth, but when he didn't find Alice, I sighed with relief. While he ate chocolate cake, Alice slipped down the table legs and I slammed the front door. Charles ran to get it, thinking there was someone there as I raced upstairs. I heard his boots stomping hurriedly up the steps, so I accidentally frightened Alice by getting down to the basement as fast as I could, making pots and pans fall with me. "Oh, it's just you," she mumbled.

I grabbed her hand and pushed her out the door. "Come on, come on." We were very successful escapees.

"Some rats are gonna die today!" Charles jumped out the front door and we scurried under the bushes. He tore through the branches, hurled a wrecking ball at a statue, and growled loudly as the statue crumbled into white pieces of marble.

"My heart's beating so fast! Wasn't that the most dangerous thing you've ever done in your entire life?" Alice whispered. It was a wonder how she could still utter a couple sentences after what we'd been through.

I couldn't speak but then I said, "Come on, let's go."

We crawled through the tall grass near the pathway to the house as Alice was saying, "He shouldn't be allowed to treat people like that. Somebody's gotta teach him a lesson."

I nodded in agreement. "How in God's name did you not get busted under the table?"

"I was so scared and I tried to open a cabinet, but it wouldn't open, so I made myself be stuck on the bottom of the table," she explained simply.

My jaw must have hit the ground. "I had no idea you could do that."

"After he gets out of here again, let's retrieve your doll."

I looked at her with pure shock painted on my face. "You're joking, right?"

My little partner in crime rolled her eyes and let out a short giggle. "Kidding, Esme!"

I sighed and pulled her up. "Sweetheart, you need to swear on your life that you will never step foot inside that house as long as we both are alive."

Alice put her hand over her heart. "I solemnly swear on your mother's gravestone that I won't do that again. Neither of us will."

"Okay. Come on."

Alice looked back at the house. "I'm really sorry, Esme," she apologized.

"It's okay. We both did a very unsafe thing, but we survived. That's the most important thing."

"I mean...I'm also sorry you have to deal with _that_ every day." She jerked her thumb back in the general direction the house was.

"Hey, I have you and Renee, so I'm fine…I can handle him. It's you who I'm the most worried about. That's your stop, so see you tomorrow!" I gave her a big hug and she stepped onto the bus after putting her backpack on.

The next day, we were back at school. Renee's classroom door opened and in walked Charles. I cautiously turned around before he started ranting.

**GRAPHIC SEXUAL VIOLENCE COMING UP...PLEASE SKIP THIS PART IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ. **

"Oooh, lesbian lovers, wanna do a threesome, Renee? You, me, and Esme?" I didn't say anything but Renee squeezed my hand, which was her silent way of telling me it would be okay.

"Fuck off, asshole!" she retorted with a scowl and showed him the finger.

"Ahh that's cool... just wondering...not that I'd ever rape an old woman like you...I like young ones better..." He leered at me with a lustful expression in his eyes, and I turned away. When I felt his hands around me, I squeezed Renee's hand. It was my signal to her for _help me_.

"Get out of my office! Esme and I were just talking." Renee wasn't afraid of him at all. I wanted to have her personality so badly, but I wasn't born to be brave. She didn't even flinch when he raised his hand to smack her. I jabbed him hard in the stomach before he could touch her.

"About what?" he asked suspiciously. I took a short breath and my best friend skimmed her thumb over my knuckles.

"N-nothing sir," I mumbled faintly.

"Let me love my niece...outta the way, bitch!" He shoved Renee to the side, she hit the desk, and we both screamed when our hands separated. "I need to be inside you, now! STRIP!" He forced Renee into the closet so she couldn't protect me. "Stay there, you wicked witch of the West!" I heard her kick the door and then I quickly peeled off my clothes when he started yelling at me to hurry up.

"Y-yes master!" I gasped, now very afraid.

"I get hot and bothered when you stammer!" He plunged himself inside me while I got rug burn on my backside and bottom. After he climaxed, I was shivering and unable to wipe his cum off myself. He stormed out to jack off. I was blind with tears as I crawled around the floor, looking for my clothes. Renee was out of the closet in a flash. She helped me get dressed by throwing me my clothes. I got them on as fast as possible. She wouldn't speak to me. I knew she wasn't mad at me, though.

"Whoa, Renee, what's got your panties in a bunch?" I asked her suddenly as I combed my fingers through my messy hair.

"My best friend just got raped again for being innocent and silent, and that bastard called me old!" I sniffled and went into my guarded position. She sat behind me and put her arms around me like she did when I was a child.

"No...he had every right to do that...I laughed at him when the newt was in his mouth and I let Alice kick him in the shin really, really hard. It's just my punishment, a quick fuck," I said between my sobs.

"You don't deserve that. That was months ago!"

"Don't worry about being old...you're young and hot...ignore what he says, and as for me, I'm used to it. I mean, at least he didn't strap a bonnet on my head or stick a pacifier in my mouth," I grumbled.

"But you're in pain...I hurt when he damages your body and spirit! We're like two peas in a pod, we stick together forever. And I can't believe he still practices paraphilic infantilism with you! I thought he hated children and babies!"

"It doesn't mean he's a pedophile, he just wants to treat me like an infant and it turns him on. Sick, I know, but what can you do?"

Renee helped me up from my sitting position. "Try to ignore him."

**OKAY, IT'S OVER NOW...PLEASE CONTINUE READING.**

I took her advice when I got home, but Charles wanted me to talk. Many hours later, he shut me up and I was soon spitting out the pacifier. It tasted terrible.

"Aw, come on, don't spit that out…it's good for you, you petulant child! Or you can have something else in your mouth…after I feed you, little Esme. Who's a good baby? You are! Actually, you're a bad baby because you're bleeding out your cunt!" He smacked my bottom until I couldn't feel it anymore. I had to blow him anyway even though my vision was blurred with tears. Whenever I had my period, he made my cramps even worse. I choked on the baby formula he shoved down my throat and some of it dribbled from my lips to my shirt. After I cleaned myself off and wiped away my tears, I slowly walked upstairs for some peace and quiet in our bedroom. Little did I know, he was in there.

"What do you want, you worthless slob?" he snapped at me when I looked down at the ground.

"Nothing...I-I'll go," I mumbled under my breath. The painful throbbing in my chest returned every time he put me down.

"No, you won't!" he shouted and grabbed me roughly by my arms. "Do you know why I punished you today?"

"I'm sorry!" I sobbed. "I'm sorry that I laughed at you when you swallowed that newt! I'm sorry that I encouraged Alice to kick you in the shin! You know, you're lucky she didn't touch your precious jewels! Please forgive me!" I begged.

"Yes...keep going..."

"What else do you want me to say?"

"I'll give you a hint. I had an intruder in the house we shared together as you were growing up."

I gulped and stared at him with wide eyes.

"I don't know who it was or what it was because I didn't catch anything or anyone. But because of that, I had to beat the living shit out of you and take you in some brainless twit's office at school. I enjoyed doing it, thank you very much," he continued.

I let out a puff of air. Thank God he didn't know it was me and Alice, otherwise he would have literally killed us both.

"So you did it out of...anger? Not...lust?"

"I did it for both reasons! I was annoyed as hell when I couldn't find a damn thing and you just do things that make me go crazy with lust."

An eerie, dreadful feeling crept over me. He wasn't a pedophile, but he didn't do well with other adults. He didn't like children better than adults, he hated them all the same...he never matured. He just wanted to dominate me. Without thinking, I asked, "Why do you like me more than any other woman in this entire world?"

"I don't like you. I loved Anne, your precious mommy," he muttered stiffly and threw me against a wall. He scoffed and shook his head. "She never gave me a second glance after I asked her out."

I hugged myself around my chest. "Then what happened?" I asked nervously. "Why did you murder her if you loved her so much?"

"Would you stop with all the questions? When she married my brother, I was furious. I forever stalked her new family, the Platts and took someone who was related to her, would grow up to look like her, and make them mine. I was pleased she was having a girl. I murdered her after her husband was gone because I was stuck on you. I don't lust after anyone else. I wanted Anne so badly that once I got the next closest thing, I'm content with life now."

"But there's no use being obsessed with someone who obviously doesn't return the feelings. Obsession turns to heartbreak when you don't get what you want," I tried to reason with him. "They say when you really love a person, you have to let them go and if they return to you, they were always yours, but if they don't, they never were. Why waste time thinking about someone you could never have?"

"Your mother was hot. I've seen her naked before. She was a tiny little thing, who I could have easily overpowered...but once she saw me through her bedroom window, she closed the curtains and got herself dressed again. That little glimpse got me going immediately. Of course she had to tell my brother, who then sent me to Ohio and told me never to return again or he would shoot me in the balls. Yeah, your father threatened me. When he went to the war, I was free, and I moved back to Forks, to your pregnant mother and her ever so loyal helper Renee. I pretended to change completely from a horny God to a loving, doting friend, and she fell for it." He snickered. "So damn naive..."

"You tricked her," I said slowly as my brain processed his words. My heart broke for my mom and I clamped my mouth shut to prevent tears from falling.

"I didn't have to try hard at all. I apologized and she was so forgiving...until I developed feelings for her child."

Uneasiness swam around my stomach and I could barely breathe. "Y-you fell out of lust-I mean, love, with her?"

"She showed no parts of her body to me at all. No private parts, at least. She didn't even want me to come in the room where she was giving birth to you. Only Renee was allowed in there, and those bitches blacked out the window so I couldn't see inside. I was so sex deprived that I had to do something! Your father wasn't there, it was just you three girls. I decided the younger, the better. You were the weakest out of all of them, so I enjoyed you the most." Charles grabbed his stiff dick and muttered words that were unintelligible. I was so grossed out and upset that I quickly left the room while he jacked off to memories about me as a kid or my mom.

A few days later, Renee drove me to Carlisle's hospital during his lunch break. We had to lie and tell Charles that I had to get my appendix out. Good thing he believed us. I told my whole sob story to Renee and then repeated it to Carlisle. When I explained Alice's and my adventure in Charles' house, they were astonished that I had even dared to go inside that place.

"Well, it was Alice's idea, not mine, but we did get out safely," I finished my long saga.

"Alice only wanted to rescue your treasures. She had good intentions, but you guys just picked the wrong time to do it," Renee said.

"I don't know what I would have done if you'd actually gotten caught. Your mother is truly an angel who was looking out for you both," Carlisle added.

I smiled. "That's the second time I've heard that."

"Maybe because it's true?" Renee flashed me one of her famous grins.

"Alice suggested it first and then she said I was also an angel, like my mom...and then she called me 'Mommy' by accident."

"Aw, that's sweet," Carlisle said warmly.

"That's funny too...but for you, it's sentimental, since you should have been a mommy six and a half years ago and Alice has a shitty mommy," Renee pointed out.

"So, we're perfect together!" I squealed.

"Mm-hm. Now, you two have like five minutes before I have to take Esme back to school so Charles doesn't beat her to a pulp," Renee announced sourly and then left the room.

"I think you're as wonderful as Alice says you are," he told me.

I looked up at him shyly. "She talks about me? You have conversations with her?"

"Not really, I hear her telling Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper about you all the time. You're a great role model for her. She needs a mother figure in her life as well as a father figure, but she doesn't see me as her father. She's never called me 'Daddy' by mistake."

I laughed a little bit. "You guys have never had one-on-one private discussions either. She's never told you about her home life?"

"Nope...I just heard from Emmett that her parents neglect her, but that's about it."

It was then that Renee signaled for me to go.

"See you later," I whispered into his tight hug. He twirled me around into Renee's embrace. She put her arm over my shoulders and we walked out of the room.

"I wish you could stay longer!" he called after me and I looked back at him.

"Me too," I murmured wistfully.

I came back to school when Charles was acting as Santa Claus and forcing the kids to sit on his lap and then literally threw them off onto the hard tile floor. He was destroying their lunch! Renee advised me to use the cop card on him and pretend that Charlie was still her husband. I could tell she still liked him, even though she denied it.

When the asswipe was finished, I followed him into his office and hissed at him sharply, "You know, I know a cop and he's my best friend's husband! If you touch those children again, I will tell him everything that you have done to me and them!"

"You tell him and you'll be joining your little whore of a mother and I'll make your death look like it was Renee's fault! Two for the price of one!" Charles warned me back through gritted teeth. He grabbed me by the neck and tried to choke me, so I had to back down. This happened every time I attempted standing up to him. He would always threaten to kill me and I knew that one day, he really would damage me so bad that I would die.

The story he told me brought on a horrible nightmare when I was sleeping over at Renee's for Christmas Eve the following Friday.

**IF YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE READING ABOUT PEDOPHILIA THEN YOU MAY STOP READING AND JUST REVIEW THE CHAPTER.**

_"I wanna pay, I mean...play! I like doing that in kindygaden," I reported to Uncle Charles, trying to initiate conversation with him. "But ebryboddy was aking me why I had a bwack eye."_

_"I love it when you talk like that," he growled, pulling me in his lap. I felt something hard where I was sitting. Did he have a rock in his pants? Why was he being nicer? He started kissing my forehead and moaning. What the heck was wrong with him?_

_"Unca, you sick? I think you peepeed your panties and then took a poopie."_

_"You are gonna make me cum, hottie..."_

_"I'm not hot. I'm normal...besides, it's cold and you already did come in my room."_

_"Ohhh, yes...keep letting the words flow out of your mouth," he said in a raspy voice. "Iiiii liiiiiiike iiiiit,"_

_"Somethin's wong wit yer voice," I giggled._

_"Ah, ah..."_

_"Uh oh, your accident's going in my butt!"_

_"That's the idea, love bug,"_

_"I like bugs and love."_

_"Can't wait til you're older and everything else develops..."_

I woke up with a high-pitched scream that made Carlisle bolt out of bed and run to my side in a flash. "Esme, Esme, what's the matter?"

**Please check out K.K. Fush's new story White Picket Fence & ****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter!**

**Thank you to reviewers that kiwi chick, K. K. Fush, MrsCarlisleCullen13, livi harkness, Just4Me, k8lin713, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, idealskeptic, and TeamCullenx! Keep up the good work!**


	13. Mental Breakdown

**Thanks to my beta K.K. Fush and prereader TheMortician'sDaughter!**

**This story has been nominated for the Hopeless Romantic Awards!**

**Get ready to start swooning from here until the very end!**

Carlisle POV:

Esme wouldn't speak for a few minutes even when I asked her what was the matter. She was gasping for breath and trying not to cry.

"Oh my god...I can see it so clearly now..." She clutched her hand to her heart and I took her other one. "He liked when I talked babyish."

I was so confused about what she'd just told me. "What do you mean?"

"My uncle...you know, Mr. Evenson. I was little, like three or four..." She was on the verge of tears but kept speaking in a quaky voice. "I asked Renee something like...'why is the sun lellow?', so I said 'lellow' instead of 'yellow'. He was lurking around and she said she couldn't quite explain it. I looked at him and something was weird with his pants. He looked like he was itching but he was grabbing his thing...I had no idea what that was. I also thought he wasn't allowed to be there since my mom banned him from the house after hearing that he wanted to kill me. But he was visiting and helping out with the garden so the neighbors wouldn't be suspicious. I pointed at the flowers and told Renee, 'petty flawas' and she smiled and agreed with me, but Charles kept looking like he was hungry. I had no idea why at the time, but he started hissing under his breath, right behind us, 'Oh yessss...' Renee bumped into him while standing up, and she shrieked in horror when she felt something hard hit the back of her head. She didn't dare turn around, but I pointed at him and said, 'Look, NayNay! Mama gonna be mad that Unca Charles is here!' She responded with, 'Shhh, baby...' We went back inside the house, a-a-and when I turned around to face him...I told him, 'Uh oh, you did an accident in your panties!' ...h-he picked me up..." She was struggling to breathe now, but she kept going anyway through the oncoming tears. "...and my feet touched something like a rock...I said he was silly for having a rock in his pants...and he unzipped his pants...but Mom came back just in time. She ordered him to put me down, and I was wondering why Renee was trying to get me back in her arms. A-another time, before then,...I-I was sitting on his lap when he dressed like Santa Claus and I felt his thing poking in my butt crack as I told him what I wanted for Christmas, and when I was finished telling him, he said I had been sitting on his lap the whole time and that Santa's not real. I just had a flashback of our first night together when I was five and he was...acting really strange!" She swallowed her tears, not wanting to relive the nightmare she just had when she was five and alone with him. The memory made her break down sobbing into my arms. "I-I didn't know..."

"He had a fetish for children's language?" I asked through gritted teeth.

She shook her head. "No, just me. He jacked off every time I spoke, and he was annoyed that my voice was getting lower as I grew older. He begged for me to act like a baby, and he even does that to this day, such as forces me to crawl to him on my hands and knees, suck my thumb, and go 'mama, dada, I need hep',or whatever, he makes me wear an adult diaper, take a shit or piss on him, throw up on him, or he changes my diaper when it's not even dirty..." She was still shuddering and gasping for breath. "He-he makes me drink his pee from a bottle when he's extremely drunk, or most of the time, it's just water, milk, orange juice...whatever I pick. He spanks me if I go 'potty' in the diaper, he bathes me, and he's even gone as far as buying me an adult crib, making me babble and sucking my nipples to get milk like he's the baby." She cringed and I hugged her tighter.

"Oh my fucking god...are you serious?" This guy was a sick freako!

"Yes. This is so humiliating...only Renee knows, and now you. When I was a real baby, though, he was changing my diaper, but I felt this wetness on my butt and inside my butt crack...I thought it was him wiping me with a wet cloth to get the shit off, but he was actually _licking the shit off my ass_!" She buried her face in her hands in complete and utter mortification.

"Who let him change your diaper?" I asked angrily.

"My mom...she-she didn't know he was a bad guy...he was her husband's brother, after all. He was a trusted family member and the only relative we had...but when Renee busted in on him, because she was primarily in charge of me, she was horrified and told my mom right away what was going on. He'd already flipped me over and cleaned up my piss in his mouth. He knew I was having the urge to pee, so he lifted me over his open mouth and I pissed right in there. Whatever, right? I mean, he drinks pee...his funeral. He licked the last drops out of my pussy. He did the same thing when I started my period. He'd stopped by the time someone came to save me, like my mom and Renee when my mom was alive, and just Renee after Mom died, but the damage was already done."

"That is child molestation and the police should have been called!" I thundered.

"It's not rape, though. Just stupid oral sex..."

"On an infant!" I roared. "That's disgusting and he's a creep. You were a helpless little baby and later, just a young girl growing into a teenager!"

"Nobody believed us. He acted openly friendly to the public. That's his trick. That's why he's never been arrested! He's even best friends with all the policemen! I did everything I could to be a good niece and obey him so he didn't get too mad. A bruise would cover my entire face and I would have to lie and say I fell down." Just then, she hiccuped and her cheeks puffed out. I panicked and hoped she wasn't about to...

"Shit, she had the pedo dream again, didn't she?" Renee asked me worriedly. "It's a recurring nightmare and she pukes every time she has it. Luckily, she waits until I take her to the toilet." I didn't even realize Renee was standing behind us or even in the room.

I picked her up immediately and carried her to the bathroom. She knelt down and I held her hair back while she let a thick stream of vomit come out of her mouth. I tried not to look so I wouldn't be grossed out. I wiped up the remains of it around her mouth with a paper towel and quickly threw it away.

I pressed my fist to my mouth and tried to keep my face emotionless after hearing more about Esme's devastating past. It made me want to cry, but I had to be strong for her. Thankfully, I remembered to give the women their gifts-a sparkly diamond bracelet for Esme and a trashy romance novel for Renee. They both got me cool looking shirts. Although we said "Merry Christmas" to each other, none of us were really in the happy Christmassy mood since Esme had just had a panic attack.

When Renee left to take Esme back to her house, I found myself walking upstairs and looking around Renee's room. There were so many pictures of them, even from when Esme was a baby and Renee was a young girl. Esme was the most adorable little girl I ever saw, but I could see her pain in every one of those photos. As I traced my finger over Esme's cheek in one of the pictures of her in a hospital bed, hooked up to wires and wrapped in bandages, my heart squeezed in pain when I noticed that she was only a young girl, younger than ten. There was one right next to it that showed her being pregnant and sitting on a chair, trying to have the best poise possible.

"What are you doing in my room?"

I jumped at the voice and turned around. "I'm sorry, Renee. I'm just a little upset right now…she was a newborn baby!"

Renee shook her head sadly. "My baby." A tear slid down her cheek and I realized this was the first time I'd ever seen her cry. She wiped it away, but she couldn't stop herself. "One time, Esme almost caught me crying, but I got rid of my tears as soon as she walked in the room. I can't let her see me break down." Renee sat down on the bed as she sobbed. I simply plopped down next to her and rubbed soothing circles on her back. "I took self defense classes in college after Esme's mom was killed. I also have best friend woman's intuition. I was the 'help' and Charles never paid attention to me...big mistake on his part! He lifted up my shirt when I was eighteen, so Esme clocked him on the head with a Barbie doll and both of us ran away from him after that."

"You cry all you want. Okay? You don't always have to be strong, you know. She's had a rough life and she's very lucky to have you in it. She loves you."

"I didn't want you to see me cry either! I'm supposed to be the tough one! God…" She sniffled and laid her head on my shoulder. "Charles brought home a Doberman dog to play with Esme when she was only ten. She was attacked and she had to get stitches across her midsection, right here." Renee ran her finger along her own midsection, between the bottom of her breasts and above her belly button. "The dog opened his mouth and bit the sides of her face, trying to tear it off and gouge her eyeballs, but those scars are hidden by her hair. He got some hair in his mouth, I guess. She's had a balance problem and bad eyesight ever since. I mean, she was born visually impaired, but she lost her glasses in that accident. I bought her some new ones, but Charles broke them. She says her eyesight has improved and won't let me buy glasses for her. I bet it's a lie, but maybe you could convince her that she does need them."

"That's my next present for her, then," I announced. "What size glasses does she wear?"

"You'd have to bring her to an eye doctor to get her prescription and size, but of course, Charles follows her every move."

"I have the perfect plan to convince her."

I pleaded with Esme to let me take her to the eye doctor, but she kept denying my offer until she blacked out and fainted in my arms. My decision was made. She was getting them whether she liked it or not. The next Friday night, we drove Esme to the glasses place and had her try on different pairs of glasses that fit her prescription. She finally agreed she needed them because she admitted to getting many dizzy spells and momentary vision losses. When she looked in the mirror after I set the black glasses with a pink rim just right on her nose, she smiled slightly.

"I look weird," she laughed.

I put my hands on her shoulders. "No, you don't. Those look cute on you."

Esme glanced at the floor and blushed. "Okay, let's buy this pair. I like them the best."

"Me too. They're just too adorable," Renee agreed.

I fought over the cost with Renee until we came to a compromise and each paid half the price. Esme rolled her eyes and told us we should have let her pay. That wasn't happening. It was her New Years present and I couldn't wait to watch the ball drop on TV with her. We didn't kiss like the couples they were showing onscreen, unfortunately, but we did hug for a long moment.

"Hey, there's something about me that you should know," she whispered.

"What?"

"I hacked it off," she giggled.

I glanced at her quizzically. "Hm?"

"When I was thirteen, Charles was passed out drunk on the couch, so I took the opportunity to chop off his dick with a kitchen knife," she admitted calmly. "Then, I stuck it in his mouth and called nine-one-one."

I pulled away from her, very shocked at her confession. Her eyes flashed across my face and then down to my lap. She started cracking up hysterically. I was sure my face was pale by now.

"Didn't you get in juvy?" I asked her quietly.

"Yeah, but they let me off since I was a minor! Also, the doctors stitched his fucker back on!" She was laughing so hard she was crying. "Can you believe that? I got away with it! You're best friends with a psycho! God, you must hate me."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "You might be psycho, but you gave me a chill, which excited me more than you could ever imagine. You are also the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on."

She sighed as her giggles slowed to a stop. "Carlisle, you've shown me that I can be best friends with a guy, and now I think I owe you. I haven't shown you my mom's gravestone yet. Why don't we go there tomorrow morning before I have to go home? I need to see her on the first day of the new year anyway."

I was so honored that I would finally get to see where her mom was buried. "Of course, I would love that."

She beamed. "Thank you."

The next morning, we both dressed in black to respect her mom. As we walked toward the gravestone, Esme blew a kiss to the air and set her red roses next to it.

"Hi, Anne!" I waved at the gray headstone.

"Hey, Mom...I wanted you to meet someone. His name's Carlisle, and he was eager to get to know you. I miss you bunches, but he's been helping me lately..." Esme looked up at me from her bent down position. "You can kneel down too, if you want."

"Oh, right, right, sorry," I muttered, embarrassed.

"Mom, I'm sorry nobody could save you that night," Esme said softly. The wind blew around us, whipping her hair across her face and moving her glasses down her nose. I put her hair back in place and pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. We got up and said our silent goodbyes to Anne, and of course wished her and each other a Happy New Year. I even held Esme's hand a little bit during the quiet stroll back to Renee's house, but she didn't take notice of it at all.

The next weekend, it seemed like Esme was determined to find out more information about her mom. We flipped through photos of Anne and her husband together. The creepy thing about it was that Charles was in the background in every single one of them.

The videos she found of her and her mom dancing around the kitchen and various rooms of her former house were very interesting to watch. Renee had obviously taken all of them and hid the tapes in her closet. I sat down with Esme as tears ran down her face. Little Esme on the video was wearing high pigtails with pink bows and Anne asked her, "Did Renee fix your hair, honey?"

"Yes, Mama!"

"Well, you look very beautiful today, Miss Esme."

"Thank you!"

"You're very welcome!"

Esme bit her lip to stop her sobs from coming out. There were some sentimental Taylor Swift songs playing somewhere in Renee's house, "Never Grow Up" and "The Best Day", just to name a couple. This time, when I held her hand, she jerked it away.

"Don't...my hands are as dry as a bone."

Gently, I took her hands again and rubbed circles on her palms. She tried to wiggle them out of my grasp, but my hold was strong. I never wanted to let her go. "Your hands are soft and warm." I stroked one of the scrapes on the top of her right hand. "This will heal soon, in about a week."

Esme shook her head. "I can't hold your hand very well...I really don't know how to do it right. See my scars?" She showed me her wrist, which were covered in multiple white lines. "I cut myself from when I was eleven to when I was fourteen and about to fling myself off a cliff. Renee saw the fresh blood and took away anything sharp from me. I quit because it hurt too much...I feel too weird to you."

"Try it," I urged her and placed her fingers in between mine. "For me, please?"

After a second, she gave me a timid nod and did exactly what I wanted her to do for the last few months. Her past was her past and nothing could change that, but I would help her move on from it.

Days later, I was delighted to see Esme walking into my hospital with Alice in tow. She explained that the small girl needed her flu shot since the Brandons didn't give two shits about their daughter's health care. I scoffed and sat her on the cot. Esme waited on a chair while eating her lunch.

"Hey, Carlisle! Emmett told me you were a doctor, but it's cool to see you at your job! Are you gonna give me a shot?"

"It's nice to see you too, Alice. And no, actually, Nurse Hale will be doing that." On cue, Lily walked in the room.

"Hi, Lily!" Alice waved at her excitedly.

"Ali...please don't hate me after I do this. I promise it won't hurt that bad. It's like a little pinch." Lily started rubbing the cotton with alcohol on Alice's upper arm and cleaning the needle.

"Try singing the alphabet," I suggested to her. She whimpered as Lily put the needle against her skin. When the needle actually pierced her flesh, Alice grabbed Esme's hand.

"Ow," Esme whispered as the girl squeezed the life out of her hand. "See, Ali, just for a second!"

Alice smiled while Lily put the Barbie Band Aid over the puncture wound. "That was nothing!"

"You were a brave girl," I commented.

"I only got to 'C'," she giggled.

"Now you're protected against the flu, well, the worst symptoms of it, at least," I added. "I gotta give you a checkup..." I got out my tools. "Tongue out...say aaah."

Alice stuck her tongue out. "Aaahh!"

I checked inside her eyes, her ears, her mouth, and even her nose. She also seemed to have good reflexes when I tapped her knees and her legs went out involuntarily. "Everything looks good. You're ready to go."

"Thanks, Doctor Cullen!" She jumped off the cot and skipped out the door, leaving Esme and I to talk alone together.

"Have you ever thought about adopting her?" I asked Esme, since they acted so much like mother and daughter it wasn't even funny.

"Well, not really...I can't have her in the same house as Charles. She'd fit better with you. Your life's not hell."

"I haven't spoken with her parents before. I don't think I even met them. My guess is that she's James Brandon's daughter, but I don't want to make assumptions."

"Yep, her parents are James and Victoria Brandon and she has a brother who doesn't treat her very nicely either. She needs a good family like you and Emmett."

I stroked her knuckles with my fingers softly and her cheeks turned a delicate pink color. "Thank you, Esme. But Emmett has offered it before and she declined."

"Why?" she asked sadly.

"She has her powers to protect her, or so she says. Can she really move things with her mind?" I was doubtful and she looked like she understood that.

"Yeah, she can. Go spend some time with her and she'll show you."

"I'll be patient. I don't care if she makes me wait forever for whatever she can make happen, happen."

"And that's why you make an amazing father," she complimented me.

"If only Emmett had an equally amazing mother." I sighed and let go of her hand.

Friday the thirteenth was like a black cloud over our heads. She called Renee, who called me to report that Esme couldn't make it to the sleepover. Charles wanted her to be home as his 'good luck charm'. A chill ran up and down my spine as I thought about what he could do to her on bad luck days like Friday the thirteenth. She didn't return to school the following week. I seriously thought she was dead until I saw her Thursday the nineteenth.

It was during my lunch shift as I walked to my car in the rain. She was running up to me, out of breath and sobbing her poor heart out.

I held both sides of her lovely face between my hands and tucked locks of her hair behind her ears. Deep, dark purple-bluish bruises under her eyes and a cut slicing down her bottom lip were revealed as she cried. I lifted her bangs away from her eyelashes and gasped when her black eyes became visible.

"Shit, Esme..." I whispered.

"Help me," she begged brokenly and coughed up blood. Her cut up hands wiped red streaks across her mouth and she clasped her fingers around mine. "Please...don't go."

"I swear on my life that I will always keep you close," I vowed. I pulled her in for a hug and she held me around my middle. Her sobs were muffled in my shirt as she described what that beast did to her.

"Charles heard noises in his house the other day and he wanted to get me for it, even if it wasn't me who was the intruder. He just beat the shit out of me because I let my mom get killed! It was a test of loyalty and I fucking failed! I screwed up and couldn't save her! I'm a murderer! I should be in jail!" she hissed.

"No, no...five year olds can't stop grown men from bashing someone's head in," I whispered into her hair.

"I hate myself! Renee tried to rescue my mom, why did I just sit there like a dumb cluck? Because I'm a two ton Tessie, that's why! Charles was right! After I got pregnant, I was fat, but when I was little, I was also big for my age! I'm plump!" she wailed.

She had a soft stomach, but in no way was she that huge. It wasn't like she was too heavy for me to carry or anything. "You were shocked and couldn't move...if I had witnessed someone I loved dearly getting killed when I was five, I would've been numb."

"No, I'm violent!" she insisted. "Charles came to my school, claiming he was protecting me and and he was my parole officer. He told everyone the story about how my mom died while I just watched and people made up rumors because I was kind of a bully. I got kicked out of school for fighting and blowing up at a girl who asked why I ended my own mom! Other kids thought my uncle was handsome, kind, and that I was lucky to be living alone with him! They told me if I couldn't get any because I was so ugly, that I should just fuck him! As a result, I punched that girl in the face and knocked her unconscious! Someone else said that if I'm so depressed, I shouldn't have murdered my mom in the first place...I went bat shit crazy! When I passed by a lunch table and asked if I could sit there, it was seventh grade and they said, 'Oh my God, the emo girl again from last year'...they said, 'No, you should just kill yourself like you killed your mom, then it would solve a lot of our problems' and I was all, 'What did you say?' and threw my tray at the girls, hitting a few and making them fall on the floor."

I smiled down at her and stroked her hair. "Now, that's my Ezzie girl. You really showed them." I actually found her to be quite attractive. I fell in love with her the moment we crashed into each other and started talking. She had captivating green eyes that pulled me in instantly, an adorable giggle, and soft pink lips that I longed to taste. That story she just told me really turned me on. I liked the idea of a wild Esme. Pride surged through me as I thought of her being a badass.

She sniffled. "What?"

"I like the thought of you beating those bitches up."

"I should have just minded my own business." She let out a shaky sigh. "And I'm your Ezzie girl? Nobody's called me Ezzie in years. You know, Renee always used to kiss my boo-boos, as I called them when I was a little girl...but she never kissed my lips, so they always hurt. I-I know that my scrape that I have now is from my bottom lip to my chin, but would you feel comfortable...never mind, did you ever have a girlfriend?"

"Nope, all the girls thought I was a jerk and a druggie in high school and too dorky in college. I was also way too picky and didn't want to break anyone's heart if I ended up not loving them."

"I've never known how to properly love a man...I don't know what it feels like. Maybe I'm not worthy of it."

"You are," I told her truthfully.

"I am?"

"Yes. I can prove it to you." Renee loved her as a sister, but I would show her what intimate love felt like. I leant down to kiss her as she stood up on her tiptoes to get better leverage. Our lips were almost touching and I was steaming up her glasses.

"Dr. Cullen, emergency!" someone interrupted us, and I groaned. "Hurry, the patient's life is on the line!"

Esme dropped down from her toes. "You have to go," she said somberly.

"I'm so sorry, baby," I apologized. "Can we finish this later?"

"Baby?"

"Well, I'm starting to have feelings for you," I explained quickly. "Might as well call you an affectionate name if that's the case."

"I don't know...meet me in the teacher's lounge tomorrow at lunch." She wiped her tears away and ran off.

I would do it correctly, but this time, I picked out flowers from Lily's garden and got ready to have a real first kiss with her where she worked.

**Just a note, Carlisle and Renee would gladly report Charles to the police...but they're scared to because he will kill all three of them and bomb the school, making it look like an accident. He's just like the Trunchbull in Matilda, remember, she never got arrested. Also, if he's dead, there's no forbidden relationship between Carlisle and Esme. And that was the whole point of me writing this story. Getting rid of him would ruin my fun. Besides, I have a clever way to kill him off, so don't worry my pretties... *cackles evilly***

**Please check out K.K. Fush's new story White Picket Fence & ****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter!**

**Thank you to reviewers idealskeptic, Just4Me, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, k8ln713, K.K Fush, CarlisleandEsme, livi harkness, TeamCullenx, MrsCarlisleCullen13, that kiwi chick,and TheMortician'sDaughter. I love all of your support!**


	14. Just Like a Dream

**Thanks** for beta'ing, K.K. Fush & prereading, TheMortician'sDaughter! ****

Esme POV:

A week. It had taken me an entire week to recover from all his blows, but I _still_ looked horrible. Charles didn't let me go to the hospital until today. He'd pushed me down the stairs so much that it felt like both my legs were broken. I was shocked that they weren't. Since I held a pack of ice up to my eyes and didn't limp, I was free to go back and teach. He was waiting for me in the hospital. I tried to avoid his cold stare as he led me back down the hallway and instead just ran to catch up with him. The drive to school was quiet and terrifying. Thankfully, it was time for him to return to his office and me to my classroom.

On Friday, I was a bundle of nerves. During the moments I was alone and waiting for my students, I thought of Carlisle almost touching my lips with his. I hated whoever stopped us. Now he was working with other women and probably forgetting about me. I wish we really had kissed in the rain because that would have been so much more romantic than the boring old supply closet, but oh well. Carlisle was going to come to _my _school to...kiss me? Was I even a good kisser? It was a nice thing that I had time to practice on my hand before class started. I had to rush to write my name and the date on the board as the children were coming in way too fast for my liking.

"Ms. Platt, your last name's not Cullen, and today's the twentieth of January, not the second of January!" Alice giggled. I looked up and quickly saw my stupid mistakes.

"Oh, thank you, I'm sorry, I'll change them." I wiped my sweaty palms on my skirt, erased what I had written, and wrote my name and the date correctly this time. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm great! How are you?"

"I _would _say I'm fine, but honestly..." I sighed shakily.

"You're not?" she guessed. "But you're back!"

"Well yeah, but Carlisle's coming to visit me during my lunch break in the teachers lounge...it's the first time he's done that. You could say I'm a little panicky. It's kinda like...our first date. That's when a man and a woman go out and kiss and...stuff."

"Oooh, go Esme!" Alice cheered, and I blushed.

"It's Ms. Platt to you when you're in class. Go sit down," I chuckled as the bell rang. "Good morning students, it's so good to see you all. I had a mini accident, but it's great to be back on track. Let's just, um..." I was interrupted when there was a knock at the door. "Excuse me."

The children turned their heads to face me while I opened the door. It was Carlisle, hiding something behind his back. I looked over my shoulder, shushed the giggling first graders, and shut the door behind me.

"Hey, I tried to be here before you started class, but I'm afraid I might be too late."

"No, i-it's fine," I stuttered. "I haven't even begun the first lesson yet. I couldn't think straight. You know, of what to do...first."

"Why is that?" he asked and took my hand.

_Because you're so fucking handsome and I haven't seen you in twenty hours! _my mind shrieked. "Many things were in my head..." I trailed off when he raised my hand to his lips. He knew what he was doing! _Stupid doctor with the power to seduce a woman to the point of being weak in the knees! _I had to catch my breath as he released my hand.

"Esme, you look lovely this morning. I couldn't wait to see you, so I showed up-" he checked his watch "-four hours early. I was thinking about you as I drove Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper to school. And I got a little something for you. Freshly picked from el _jardin_ de Lily." He placed a bouquet of flowers, red roses and white daisies to be specific, in my hands. Even though I couldn't smell them, he bought me flowers! He thought I was special enough to get flowers! I smiled from ear to ear and leaned against the wall with a sigh.

"Thank you, Carlisle. They're so beautiful," I gushed. "I'll put these in my classroom so it can smell nice for the children."

"My pleasure. You could also take them to Renee so she can decorate her teen lounge with it when you go over there," he advised me.

"Yeah, that's a great idea! I should probably get back to teaching...see you later?"

"Lunchtime, baby, lunchtime." He wrapped me in a hug and I think I felt him kiss the top of my head. When he was gone, I let out a squeak that should only be legal for twelve year olds.

"Okay, guys, I'm sorry, that was just...a friend. He gave me flowers so we could brighten up this room and I'll take some home with me as well!" I announced as I filled a vase with water and put the flowers inside.

When class was finished, I carried the flowers to the teacher's lounge and made sure Charles was nowhere near me. When I was safely inside, Renee locked the door behind me.

"He's waiting for you in the closet. We girls will leave you two _all_ alone." She gave me a suggestive wink.

"He's here already? Do I look okay?" I asked worriedly. "Oh, where's the mirror?"

"Don't be nervous, you look fine, darling." Elizabeth, the second grade teacher assured me.

"Sure I don't need makeup?" I ran my tongue over the cut on my lip. "My cover-up might not be good enough. Oh, and how's my hair? How do you kiss with a split lip?"

"You're pretty enough," said Sue, the woman who taught the fourth grade.

"Yeah, now, go in there," Renee ordered me with a laugh.

"Wish me luck, girls." I handed the vase to her and she grinned.

"Esme sandwich!" Carmen and Siobhan, both fifth grade teachers, called out. I walked away from the circle of women while they shouted, "Good luck!"

"Thank you!" I said back. I turned the door handle, opened the door, and there he was. He smoothed his fingers through his hair and stood up.

"Hey there, beautiful. We're all alone, at last," he sighed. I sank into his open arms and shivered with excitement when one of his hands went to my lower back and his other one stroked my hair. We rocked from side to side and I enjoyed the gentle rhythm."How are you?"

"I'm...good," I mumbled shyly as he ran his finger along the underside of my jaw and tilted my face up to meet his. "This handsome doctor...made my day..." I was so horrible at being coy.

"Do I know him?" he asked with a smirk. I giggled and poked at his chest.

"You might."

"May I kiss you?" he asked abruptly and surprised me.

"Why do you want me if I was such an evil lunatic when I was younger and now, I'm a pathetic crybaby?" My own words made tears burn behind my eyes. I was that good at making myself cry to the point of full-out sobbing. "I'm just so broken...I feel scared when I'm by myself...he's ruined me so badly, I just...can't survive without you...I used to be only dependent on Renee, but now you're stuck with me and my horrible background...it's still violent to this day...I'm so sorry, Carlisle...I apologize greatly for putting you through this. You have to see my beat up face every single goddamn day..."

He shushed me by putting his index finger on my lips. "Hey, hey, don't be sorry...it is not your fault, do you hear me? I chose to be in your life. It was my decision to protect you and worship the ground you walked on. Nobody forced me to do it. And it's okay to be scared."

"I'm so afraid..." I said softly.

Carlisle took my face in his and stroked my wet cheeks, even though droplets of water kept falling out of my eyes no matter what he did. He stared into my eyes as he said, "Esme, even though your body is bruised, your heart is strong enough to let me in. Right?"

I nodded; my lips were so close to his face. "You deserve that. But you need someone else who doesn't have so much pain inside of her."

He looked from my eyes to my lips and brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. "I can't picture myself with anyone else. I think I'm falling madly in love with you. No, to be honest, I love you deeply from the bottom of my heart. You're the one."

My heart lifted, but I was unsure. "Me?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, you."

"I-I don't know..." Could I trust him?

He leaned closer to me and our lips were almost connecting. My heart was thumping wildly in my chest. "Never doubt the power of love...this is real. I can feel it, and I know you can too...we can be romantic together. Sweetheart, we're alone now. Nobody can interrupt us this time," were his last words as I closed my eyes and our lips joined.

As he was kissing me, the most amazing feeling spread throughout my body and I let out a low hum. We pulled apart after thirty seconds and gasped for air. Not a minute later, he had me pressed up against the wall and our bodies were molded together. His tongue lapped all over my mouth and his lips sucked at all the right places, moving from my lips and my tongue down my jaw and at my neck. He stopped suddenly and went on to my closed eyelids after taking my glasses off momentarily, and my cheeks. I was sure my whole face was flushed and I let out a loud moan as his mouth took mine again. My legs were shaky, so it was a good thing I was trapped between him and the wall. He groaned as he hoisted me up and kissed my chin. I knotted my fingers in his hair and kissed him all over as hard as I could. I liked this feeling. No, I _loved_ this feeling. It was perfect and it was more real than I had ever imagined.

"Thank-thank you," I breathed out dizzily.

"You're so pretty when you swoon, and your blush is adorable, do you know that?" he asked and made me blush again. He put my glasses back on my face. "Can you still see okay?"

"M-hm," was all I could say.

"Damn it, Esme, you're amazing...all of you." He ran his strong hands down my shoulders, arms, sides, all the way down my body to my hips and then rubbed all over my back. "I..." he pecked my forehead, "...love..." he pecked my nose, "...you," he finished while we made out. "So much," he panted through the steamy kiss.

I was breathless by this point and my insides were screaming fire. It was a good kind of fire, though, the one that had me going, "Oh, god...I feel like I'm gonna melt!"

"It's a good thing I'm holding you, then, huh?" he asked. I nodded weakly.

I reached up and stroked his faint beard while he caressed my hair. "Yeah...I'll miss you tonight. Renee's inviting all the girls over, no guys allowed," I said sadly.

"Oh, baby, I'll miss you more. But I promise to call you around eleven or midnight."

I smiled. "What are you gonna do while I'm with the girls?"

"I'm gonna take Emmett, Jasper, and Peter out to the ball game and then we're gonna have a slumber party at my house. Will's joining us, since Lily's gonna be with you, Renee, Alice, Rosalie, Charlotte, and Vera." We exchanged phone numbers so we could contact each other even without cell phones.

"I can't wait for my girls' night and you calling me later."

"Me neither. Have a great time!" Carlisle said as the bell rang. He gave me another breathtaking kiss that left me dizzy and wanting more after he walked out. I was still until he was completely gone. My steps were wobbly and I was all smiles. I had no idea how I made it back to class, but I did. I even survived Charles.

"Hey, watch where you're going, four-eyes!" he shouted as I almost bumped into the wall.

"The better to see your dick with so I can give you a hell of a good blow job," I muttered to shut him up as he grinned at me creepily.

When I got to Renee's house, I took a bunch of flower petals from the bouquet Carlisle gave me, threw them up in the air, squealed, and spun around as they scattered in my hair, on my clothes, and all over the floor. Everyone, including myself, laughed at my little show. When I calmed down, Renee braided my hair while the little girls, Alice, Rosalie, Vera, and Charlotte played with Barbies and Powerpuff Girls and Lily read them a story. Renee and I listened in the background. It seemed like Alice and Rosalie were more attentive to the fairytale rather than playing with the dolls.

"...And they all lived a happily ever after," Lily finished and closed the Snow White book.

"Yay!" Rosalie cheered while Alice clapped her hands.

I leaned against Renee after she finished my French braid and held my knees close to my chest. "I've always believed in magic, you know. I feel like Carlisle came in on his white horse and rescued me from the evil dragon. Too bad he hasn't slain it yet."

"Like he's your Prince Charming?" Renee asked with a smile.

"Well, he is...it seems like he loves saving me. He treats me like a princess."

"That's because you are, Esme," Alice cut in with a giggle. She scooted close to me while Rosalie snuggled with Lily at the other end of the bed.

"I'm like a slave girl, though." I looked down and bit my lip.

"So? Cinderella was a slave too. But she had her Fairy Godmother help her go to the ball so she could kiss her Prince Charming," Rosalie responded.

"Oh, who's the fairy godmother in our story, me?" Renee asked, like she didn't know already. Everyone stared at her like she was from Mars. "Aw man, that woman's like a grandma!" I snickered.

"She doesn't have to be," Lily assured her. "That was just in the animated version. In the non-animated versions, she's young, like you."

"But I don't look like Cinderella. Lily, you do. And Carlisle has almost brown hair, but it's light blonde...my favorite princess was Snow White, to be honest," I confessed.

"Rosalie and I love Cinderella, don't we, sweetheart?" Lily asked and stroked her little girl's hair lovingly. Rosalie nodded with a smile.

"I loved Briar Rose. It was so sweet when the guy kissed her and she woke up," Alice put in.

"Belle was great...but then I switched over to Snow White. High five, girl," Renee said and held up her hand so we could slap palms.

"Well, let's just say we have a mixed up princess story!" I exclaimed with a laugh.

"So, he kissed you, Esme?" Renee asked me softly as Rosalie and Alice fell asleep just slightly in our laps. "Have you fallen for him yet?"

"What was it like?" Lily asked and leaned in closer to me.

I nodded and blushed. "It was wonderful. But I just don't know my feelings. All that I'm positive of is that I loved it. He's been a great friend and he's really handsome...but there's gotta be someone better than me out there. True love waits, and we haven't waited long to fall in love. I only met the man five months ago...do people get into romantic relationships that quickly?"

"Sometimes, they do. But you guys are best friends, he really likes you, Esme," Renee answered. "Obviously, he thinks a lot of you since he kissed you passionately."

"How do you know it was passionate? I don't know what that means, really. It wasn't rough, he was extremely gentle, actually." I touched my lips and closed my eyes while I replayed it in my head over and over again. I was breathless and swooning the entire time. That man really knew how to kiss a woman enough to make her want to faint. "And I felt this weird but pleasurable sensation down there like I had to go to the bathroom...but I don't know why I got wet...I didn't wet my pants or anything...and it felt so good too...what was it?" I whispered.

"That kiss got you sexually excited...it's what happens to all women when they get kissed or touched sexually by someone they like!" Renee explained, making me blush.

Lily fanned herself. "Whoo! Definitely passionate," she said with a smirk and Renee patted her heart and sighed.

"But I'm not even ready to have sex with him, so why did my body react that way?"

"When a woman gets touched or kissed with passion, she gets wet down there. It means hot and heavy, Esme. He's intensely in love with you. I've seen the way he looks at you and takes care of you. Alice has even had dreams of you guys marrying in the future. Oops, wasn't supposed to say that!" she said and clapped her hand over her mouth.

I raised my eyebrow. "Well, ladies, if you say so..."

Renee's phone went off just then and she checked it. "Well, it's the devil himself." She waved it at me and I grabbed it from her excitedly.

"Hello?" I asked, trying not to look at the kissy faces the girls were giving me.

"Hi, baby, how's my favorite girl tonight?"

"I'm good. We were just talking about you." I couldn't keep the giggle out of my voice when he called me 'baby'.

"What did I do now?" he asked innocently.

"Nothing wrong. Unless treating me special and stealing my heart is a crime."

"Well, I haven't been in jail yet, so I must be doing okay. And hey, you stole my heart as well, so we're even!"

I laughed when he teased me. "Yeah...we girls are having fun! How are you and the boys?"

"If you think pizza, nachos, and soda tastes good, we're doing just fine."

I wrinkled my nose. "I don't like soda. But the rest is delicious!"

"There's just one problem, though. I love my son and his friend, but can you guess what my only problem is?"

"I'm sorry, I'm really bad at that."

"I miss you, honey."

My heart fluttered like thousands of butterflies all over my belly. "I-I miss you too."

"And you know what else?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

"Thanks. You too."

I wasn't used to telling someone I loved them in a romantic way. I wasn't sure how he would take it if I ever said it.

"I wish I could hold you right now while gazing into your pretty eyes."

I took a deep breath while my heart skipped a few beats. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Being in his warm embrace brought me comfort, but he wasn't here. I felt like crying. My voice was already shaky. "Carlisle, why didn't you sleep over tonight? Aren't we...a couple?"

"You wanted girl time, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah...they wanted to know why I looked so giddy all day."

"If you want me to come over, I can."

"No, it's fine...have fun with your boys." I shouldn't have said anything.

"You sure, princess?"

"Mm-hm. Sorry for being such a baby earlier." I swallowed my tears and forced the lump in my throat to go away.

"It's okay. You're used to me being there and tonight, I couldn't be. I can't be with you overnight anymore...until you're comfortable with us sleeping together."

"I am!" I protested with a whimper.

"Believe me, I want to...but when I hold you and we're laying side by side, my hands roam and I can't help it. I don't ever want to make you do anything you don't want to do, but you just tempt me too much...and then it's my dick talking. I'm far gone."

"I...understand. You have...sexual urges?" I asked with a shudder. That wasn't something I wanted to think about at this moment.

"I'm sorry, my love. Truly, I am."

"I know."

"See you tomorrow."

"Night."

"I love you so much, baby."

With those words in my head, I hummed, closed the phone and fell fast asleep. I pulled Alice into my arms and dreamed of the three of us being a family.

My dreams turned to nightmares. The wonderful man who had become my boyfriend was no longer smiling down at me with love...now, I could see hatred in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and growled at me, which caused me to whimper.

"Carlisle, what's wrong?" I asked in a very small voice.

"Get the fuck out of here, you good-for-nothing bitch!" he snarled.

I gulped. "But I thought we-"

"There is no 'we', you ugly scaredy-cat! You can't be my whore, you can't be my girl! I don't date women who hate to fuck! You understand me?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not ready for sex yet!" I stammered through my tears.

"That's stupid!" He grabbed me by the hair and raised his fist. I closed my eyes, waiting for the blow-and there it was. I had just been struck violently across the face. I hissed in pain and let my tears leak out of my shut eyes. Why was he being such a bastard?

The scene before me faded into darkness and then into a brightly-lit hospital room. Carlisle looked slightly kinder than the last image I saw of him. He walked over to a young girl, possibly sixteen or so, and put his hand on her bulging stomach. She moaned and I hoped it was in pain, and not pleasure.

"Bella...you don't know the father?"

"Nope, and I don't care." She smirked and widened her legs. Carlisle looked down for a split second with a bewildered expression on his face.

"You're a slut! You're just a teenage girl with a crush on a slightly older man!"

The bitch laughed. She actually laughed. "Oh, come on, it's not like anyone's gonna notice...besides, I'm just going in for my checkup cuz I'm pregnant! It's a perfectly innocent thing to do. Hey, you like me like thiiiiisssss?" she asked him seductively and unzipped her sweatshirt to reveal a pair of fresh, creamy breasts with perfect pink nipples.

He licked his lips and leaned down...I couldn't watch his lustful reaction. Jealousy and rage took over me in an instant.

"Get away from my man!" I yelled. I kicked off my covers and ran to the kitchen, sobbing heartbrokenly.

Before I knew it, I was digging a blade deeply down my wrist and toward my elbow. I hadn't cut in eleven years, but damn, it felt good. So good. I forgot how weak it made me feel. My arm throbbed, but I enjoyed the nice, slow burn of it. It got rid of the stinging pain on my face from when he hit me in my dream.

Suddenly, I dropped it on the floor and sank down with a thump. My head was pounding along with my cracked heart, so I curled into a ball, with my arms around my knees, crushing them to my chest. Maybe it would stop the pain. I knew he would betray me. He did it in my nightmares, so he might as well have done it in real life, too. No wonder he didn't want to sleep here anymore. He knew I was a wimp when it came to sex, I made him horny, and therefore, he thought it was useless to come here overnight. Two adults in bed together-what do they do? They fuck.

Renee ran to my side-I had no idea how she was even there. She must have heard my crying. "Esme, what is it? What's wrong?" she asked soothingly.

"He doesn't want me...he's bored of staying overnight with me all the time." The lump in my throat was getting way too big for me to handle, and I could barely speak.

"You know that's not true. Why don't you call him? You need his comfort."

"Why doesn't he call me? He's only called me one time! I always have to ask him to come to the teacher's lounge! I'm always the one running to his damn hospital on his lunch break! He's never invited me to his house! Why the hell not? I'm not gonna stand there and go crying to him! He needs to make an effort to be in contact with me twenty-four seven! All he wants me for is sex! He stays away from me like I'm the fucking plague because he knows I can't give him sex!" I screamed in my hands until it hurt to breathe.

"It's only the first night you've spent away from each other. Being in a hidden relationship is hard, and he can't call you when he's afraid you're with Charles. It would make sense if he called here every Friday night when you're here with me and I bet he will do that. He doesn't want you to be caught sneaking to his house. And it's also the first time you guys have gone to each other's workplaces. I'm pretty sure a pattern will form over the months. Esme, don't give up on him. I know he's a good guy. If he wasn't, would he check up on you?"

"No," I mumbled and wiped away some of my tears that were staining my cheeks. "I guess I'll wait...I shouldn't hurt myself because of a stupid nightmare."

"What are you talking about?" Her eyes traveled over my bloody wrist and then to the knife. "Shit!"

"I'm sorry!" I blurted out. "It was an accident...I mean, I sorta had to do it...I was upset, and-"

"No, Esme...the damage is done. I'll help you clean this up while you call Carlisle. Tomorrow morning, I'm calling a therapy group so you can attend a meeting. You need help and I need to hide all the sharp objects again." Renee sighed, picked up the knife, and put it someplace where I couldn't reach. She got some first aid bandages and wrapped them around my wrist to my elbow. "You talk to him as long as it takes. Ask him anything you need to know. I don't care if it takes you guys all night to work this out. A new relationship takes time to grow, but you two need to plan the beginning steps. Good luck."

"Thanks, Renee," I breathed out. She threw her arms around me and I hugged her back tightly. "Can I use your house phone?"

"Of course. Try to be quiet when you come back in the teen lounge. I'll be fast asleep."

"Okay. I apologize for making you get up."

"Apology accepted," she mumured as she left the room.

**Please check out K.K. Fush's new story White Picket Fence & ****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter!**

**Thank you to reviewers TeamCullenx, livi harkness, ****K. K. Fush, nik-edward is my love, t****hat kiwi chick, MrsCarlisleCullen13, Just4Me, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, CarlisleandEsme, and TheMortician'sDaughter! Love you all!**


	15. Protection

**Thanks to my beta K.K. Fush and prereader TheMortician'sDaughter!  
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Carlisle POV:

My house phone rang about an hour after getting the boys in bed. I stretched, yawned, and stumbled out of my bed in a stupor.

"Cullen residence," I mumbled, stifling yet another yawn.

"Hi, it's-it's me," a shaky feminine voice on the other end answered. "I-I'm sorry for waking you up, but when you told me you couldn't sleep over at Renee's anymore, it broke my heart. I had two nightmares, one where you hit me, and another one where you cheated on me with some Bella chick. I don't even…" Esme trailed off, sobbing, filling me with guilt, and there was nothing I wanted to do except for take her in my arms and soothe her to sleep.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry-" I tried to apologize.

"Stop saying you're sorry; it doesn't ease my pain!" she cried. "Can't you just hold me without being horny? Or just ignore the feeling? I mean, it makes me sick to know that not only do Charles and his friends desire me, you desire me, too! Who else is lusting after me? It…it makes me think that you're just using me for sex…" she explained tearfully.

Shit! I didn't even think of that! I must be some kind of idiot! "Esme, I love you. It's okay that you're not ready for sex yet…but I can't help it-"

"AAAAAH! I don't wanna hear it!" she bawled.

"Baby, please…" I begged her. "Hear me out. Normal guys have that reaction over girls. I'm just being a guy! I'm attracted to both your body _and_ your personality!"

"But I'm not normal! I'm not and I never will be! I know you're normal, and that's why it was a mistake to _ever_ think of me as a girlfriend! I'm just a fucking sex object to you!" she freaked.

"Sweetheart, look, I guess when you fall in love with someone's personality, you like their body as well! I promise, I love every part of you! You complete me and my life isn't the same without you. I swear to God, I will never force you into sex. You're too pretty to be treated like shit. It breaks my heart when you're sad. I hate it even more when it's my fault that you're upset."

Esme sniffled. "You mean it?"

"Yes, now hold on a second." I put my jacket and shoes on by the front door.

"What's all that noise?"

"Just wait, it's a surprise." I covered up the mouthpiece as I got into my car and started it. It took me a few minutes to get to Renee's house.

"For me?" she asked excitedly.

I rang the doorbell. "Open up, darling."

"Huh? I don't know what you mean, but someone's at the door." I saw her pull open the door and her mouth fell open in absolute shock when she saw me standing there on Renee's front porch. "Carlisle..."

"I came as fast as I could. Wanna stay over at my place?"

She nodded. "I have to tell Renee!" Esme ran into the teen lounge for a while and then came back out with a jacket on over her pajamas. She took my hand as I led her to my car. "Oh, this will be so much fun!"

I drove us back to my house and when we got inside, I let her tiptoe around the rooms since she wanted to explore. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind and she jumped. "How do you like it, babe?"

"It's...nice. Calm, quiet...kinda like Renee's house, only boyish. Um...I think I should do something here. I don't want to disappoint you." She took off her jacket, placed it neatly on a nearby chair, and started taking off her shirt. I stopped her before she revealed herself completely.

"You don't need to do that, Esme."

"What do you want me to do to you, hand or blow?" She got down on her knees and I quickly realized what she thought I was bringing her over to my house alone for. I pulled her up to her full height and smoothed her shirt down.

"We're not having sex," I assured her as she breathed out a sigh of relief. "Ezzie, forget about me and my desires for a second and tell me what you want to do now. Are you tired?"

"Maybe we can watch TV...because I'm not tired," she insisted, trying to suppress a yawn. I chuckled. She reminded me of the kids.

"It's okay if you're sleepy. You can have my bed and I'll take the couch."

"No, I can't be separated from you...sorry if this sounds clingy, but being without you on Friday nights is something I can't get used to. I'll get nightmares of you leaving me again." Her hold on my arm tightened and I brushed my fingers through her soft bangs.

"Okay, I can spoon you," I decided aloud.

"What does that mean?"

"Spooning?"

"Yeah."

We entered my room and I flopped down on the queen sized bed. After she took her nightlight out of her pocket and plugged it into the wall, she crawled up next to me and I held her against me, with her back facing my chest. "That's spooning."

"Ohh...that's comfy!"

"I'm glad you think so, love. You can roll over if you want to talk quietly. I'm not quite ready to sleep just yet. I wanted more time with you. I need to see your beautiful face."

"How will you hold me then?" She rolled over to look at me.

"Just lay your head on my chest and snuggle up next to me." She placed the side of her face against my chest and put her hand on my shoulder. I wrapped one of my arms around her midsection and her legs were flush against mine. My other hand cradled her head on my chest.

"Mmm, this feels nice." She sighed in contentment. "You like my braid, don't you?" she asked as I continuously smoothed my hand down her perfect French braid.

"I like this hairstyle. Actually, I like your hair in any style."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you do."

"Esme, I was just wondering something...what was that song you were dancing to back in September?"

"You remember that?" she asked, slightly amused.

"I sure did. So tell me, please, I'm desperate to know!"

"You'll laugh. It's so stupid!" She giggled and buried her face in my chest, trying to get to the sheets underneath us. "I made it up, based on Taylor Swift's song, 'Hey Stephen'."

"Come on, I won't laugh, honey, I'm just curious."

She started humming and then sang under her breath, "Hey, Carlisle, it's been a while ever since I laid my eyes on you...I can't do this! Oh my God, I told you it was bad!" Her giggles were music to my ears. I lifted her face up so I could see her smiling and laughing. Her cheeks were also turning pink, naturally.

"Very clever. Thanks for the song, my lovely lady." I kissed her on both cheeks.

"You're welcome. Taylor Swift is my guilty pleasure." She looked down. "I love her songs. They have a good beat without swear words."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, darling. You can like anything you want."

"Alice and Rosalie like Taylor Swift! I like kids' music! I'm also very, very tempted to teach my class the Hoedown Throwdown by Miley frickin Cyrus! How childish can I get? And...I love you like a love song, baby, ah, ah-that's by Selena Gomez. Corny, but I think it's perfect for the way I feel about you! I have to keep reminding myself, those songs are for children only!"

"It's not that babyish," I insisted. "You could do much worse. You could play some creepy Barney song, I love you, you love me, we're all a big happy family, with a kiss and a hug and a one-two-three-"

She snorted through her laughter. "That is not how it goes! I don't even remember it but it's something like that. Who cares! The point is, I'm twenty-five and I act like I'm what, twelve, thirteen...you see, I actually like tween magazines and I get this warm feeling inside when you call me Ezzie! I can't control it! It's like I'm a little girl trapped in this young woman's body...kinda like an intellectually challenged person! I'm so embarrassed. My cheeks are burning, Carlisle, _burning_! If I explode, you'll be covered in like, I dunno, rainbows and unicorns! Okay, random, but-"

"Ezzie, shhh..." I successfully stopped her rambling. She stared back up at me with innocent eyes. "Have you read adult magazines or listened to music for young adults?"

"Renee's magazines talk about sex and fashion...I hate sex because it'll never feel good to me and I'll never look as awesome as those celebrities. I hear her music on the radio but never really a whole song...I don't know why I'm this way. I just am. Renee's gonna get me help soon."

"I'm no therapist, but I'm gonna try to figure you out. What was your best childhood memory?"

"Mama was pushing me on the swings and Renee was taking our picture. That was-" Esme gulped. "-before she died."

"Have you had any good memories since she died? I mean, with Renee, obviously."

"Well, yeah, when Renee came back from college, like four years later. I felt like I was still a five year old when she returned. I just never developed, I guess. I like when you call me Ezzie because it reminds me of when my mom and Renee used to call me Ezzie-pie."

"Now, when she left, you were ten or eleven, right?"

She shrugged. "Around that. She gave me a bunch of tween magazines and her old CDs with current songs that I would love. I enjoyed myself with that crap when I wasn't around Charles...and I was stuck on that. Charles caught me one day and burned all my gifts from her. I was forced to do things that most eleven year olds should never have to do. Everyone at my school was growing up, but not me. I was missing what I could have had, if my mom never died at _his_ hands...I kept my growing body hidden since I was ten. I was kind of an early bloomer, but he found out when I was about eleven or twelve. Suddenly, my childhood went away, just like that." Esme snapped her fingers. "One day, I would be listening to some nineties tween hit or writing in my journal, the next day, Charles would be fondling me in the shower. Isn't it crazy? I missed that whole gap between eleven and fourteen. _He_ wasted my time doing adult things with me when I could have been living like an average middle-schooler.

"Cutting became my new obsession. The only person that kept me alive was Renee. I waited so long for her. I wanted her to finish school and get me the fuck out of Charles' house so I could at least have a decent high school life. Obviously, he never let her take me anyplace, not even school. He didn't trust her. He's kinda afraid of her, since she knows how to fight him off. Well, in high school, you know how that turned out. But my interests stayed the same-Renee didn't want to push me to listen to teenage music or read gossip magazines like _Seventeen__-_I guess she figured that giving me more things to enjoy would make Charles madder and scarier.

"Fast-forward to my pregnancy...I was excited to have a child since I would finally have a little friend to play with, like a baby doll, and I hoped it would be a girl because then I could give her makeovers, let her wear pretty dresses, and fix her hair all nice. I could relate to a little girl, you know...and when I got my teaching job, I felt like jumping for joy. In fact, I think I did! I was like, finally, I get to hang out with children! And I guess, now is now," she explained. A lone tear trailed down her cheek and I wiped it away. "I don't blame you if you think I'm too fucked up. I mean, look at me, I'm...fat...and...it's like you're... dating someone... ten years your junior," she said thickly and swallowed hard.

"Ezzie, please-" I whispered.

"And you know what the sickest part is?"

"Don't-" I started to say, but she beat me to the punch.

"I'm a year and a half older than you, Carlisle. I wanted you to know that."

I _do _know that_._"

"Do you also realize that you're kissing, touching, holding, a damaged woman with a severe emotional disorder? She's so messed up that she can't even handle things adults enjoy doing. Are you really interested in having a relationship with a thirteen-year-old girl? Because that's what I am. I have no idea how to change. I'm broken into too many pieces. You know when you drop a glass and it shatters into millions of pieces, so many you can't find them all? That's how I feel. I'm missing too many parts of myself."

"Ezzie-"

"No, just call me Esme. I need to get off that stupid nickname. It's like, what do you call it, withdrawal?"

"I could use both names interchangeably."

"Sure, that would be okay. Why am I acting like a thirteen year old with her first crush?"

"Because you had to grow up too fast. I love you, even if you act like you're thirteen. I like the fact that you have a playful side. You're also mature in the way you handle those kids of yours. You're smart. I can tell, since you got through high school, college, and achieved your dream job. You only act like you're thirteen emotionally, but otherwise, you're just like any other twenty-five year old. You certainly don't look thirteen..."

"I know I don't look thirteen," she snapped. "Charles told me I looked about thirty when I was eleven and he said he was only thirty-eight, so it would be like kissing someone eight years my senior." A look of disgust crossed her face and she turned away from me. Fuck, I had no idea she would take that offensive! I thought that was a compliment! I thought she would like looking her age!

"Esme, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I'm fine," she stated coldly.

"Sweetie, did he look into your eyes?"

"No," she murmured. "He said I had an hourglass figure. Most girls my age were sticks. Being pregnant made me not look thirteen."

"He only looked at your body. I was gazing into your beautiful eyes when I told you that you didn't look thirteen. You're innocent, young, and if I didn't know you, I would think you were in the twenty to thirty age range."

"I can live with twenty or even thirty, but no younger and no older." She was back to looking up at me with a dazed expression on her face. Her smile grew when I stroked her soft cheek with my thumb.

"You have dimples, I see."

"It happens when I'm grinning widely. Sometimes I do it too much and then my face goes red. My smile turns crooked-"

"You have a pretty smile," I murmured while tracing her lips. "When we were kissing, I enjoyed feeling your smile against mine. Our lips were moving together, like we were talking but not saying real words."

Esme glanced down. "Was that okay? For you, I mean? I-I liked it, I admit."

"Of course I liked it, sweet girl. I loved it, in fact. You're so cute," I murmured as she blushed harder.

"Stop it, you're making me blush!"

"I know, but I can't help it, cutie pie." She giggled when I trailed my fingers up and down her arm, tickling it slightly. We kissed passionately until I felt myself getting hard.

"Baby girl, it's late, and I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, let's just fall asleep, all right?" We pulled away from each other and she snuggled into my chest. I held her around her belly and pressed my lips into her hair. She hugged herself and put her warm, delicate hands over mine.

"Good night, Dr. Dreamy..." she mumbled, on the brink of sleep. "Oh my god, I meant Dr. Cullen...I'm sorry..."

"Good night, Ms. Beauty Queen. Oops, I meant Ms. Platt," I joked along with her so her discomfort would fade. She laughed adorably, so I knew all was well again. "I love you, forever and always," I promised her and gave her one last kiss on the top of her head. "Sweet dreams, honey."

"You too."

The next night, I met Charlie at the bar. He was finally taking the night off while his daughter was supposedly at a friend's house. I seriously doubted that, but he was so excited to see me that I didn't want to rain on his mood by seeming like I didn't trust Bella.

"Good to see you, man." Charlie gave me a guy-hug and slapped me lightly on the back, and I did the same to him. We got some margaritas and drank half a glass, but once we turned around, we saw Bella in between two guys, Mike and Tyler, as Charlie called them. What was she doing, having a threesome? Months before I met Esme, I heard that Edward and Jacob fought over Bella because apparently, Edward was a prude and Bella used Jacob for sex. I had a man-to-man talk with both boys and discovered that she was caught in a love triangle. I wondered who Bella's boyfriend was now. Charlie was beyond angry. When his drunk daughter clumsily walked up to the bar next to us and ordered another dry martini on the rocks, Charlie grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him.

"Err, hi, Dad," Bella muttered nervously.

"You are in big trouble, young lady!" he reprimanded her. "That's it, you're already pregnant, and now I caught you being a slut! You are going to live with your mother, and that's final." Before the teenager could protest, my best friend had Renee on the phone and Bella's mother was at the bar within ten minutes.

"Well, I'll let you guys catch up," I told Renee, Charlie, and Bella. "Meanwhile, I'm gonna use the restroom."

They waved goodbye at me and I thought about all the margaritas I drank tonight. I was a little dizzy, but I could still stand upright. I just had to take a piss. I heard drunken conversations floating around the stalls and their boisterous laughter was driving me insane!

"Fuck, Charles, she felt so good! I can't believe you restrained yourself for eighteen years! Her ass was so squishy...and her breasts, oh, so delicious!"

I started listening when I realized they were talking about my baby girl. I clenched my fists and jaw in anger as they discussed how tasty she was.

"If you break her vagina, I'll laugh, especially since I won't have to kick her fat gut whenever she gets some demon brat inside of her!" Charles shouted and all the men guffawed. "Damn, I don't regret those hidden cameras in her shower for all those years! You know what's the best part?" He didn't wait for anyone to answer his question. "Me comin' in there in my swim trunks, lifting her up while she's washing her little pussy, fresh and bloody from that time of the month, and banging her against those shower walls so I could fuck her while she was unconscious! I didn't wait until she was eighteen! The dimwit didn't even know she was getting laid! I cleaned her off and laid her there until she woke up shivering! Of course, I played the loving uncle role and helped her into a blanket and some clothes. I even bandaged her wounds. She thought I attacked her or something." That fucking asshole! I swore under my breath and kicked the stall door angrily.

"How old was she then, bud?" his friend asked.

"I dunno, man, I'm guessin' ten, almost eleven...barely out of elementary school, but still smoking hot. Every day, I wanted to get inside her. I wanted to do her so hard that she wouldn't be able to move after I was done. Face it, boys, she was the sexiest bitch in the planet! She almost died once, but I brought her back to life," Charles bragged. "She couldn't handle Spike...what a wimp! I brought him home, he loved me right away. He comes at her, I have no idea why! He seemed to really hate her! Oh, maybe he had my genes, I don't know. I didn't even train him to drag his claws all over her face and try to eat her! But it was quite entertaining to watch...I'm glad I didn't involve myself in their little fight! Her injuries weren't that bad, really. Just the usual amount I like giving her. I mean, she didn't die or anything. She deserved it for being a naughty little pest."

Another man added, "Yeah, Anne Platt's spawn will be screwed so many times it aint even funny cuz she's got such a good lookin' body! Smack her down, roll her around, come on, Charles, work!"

They cheered as I finished my business and washed up. I stormed out of the bathroom and prepared myself to save her from these monsters. I searched the crowd for her, but to no avail, so I settled on asking the DJ to announce her name.

"Esme Platt, please come to the front of the bar."

I raced to the front of the bar and then looked outside. Finally, I saw a figure curled up against the brick wall and by the dim lighting above her head, I could see that it was Esme. I knelt down in front of her. "What are you doing out here, sweetheart?" I reached out to take her shaking hand, but she flinched away from me with a heartbroken whimper. "It's me, Carlisle, your boyfriend," I put in to ease her alarm.

"How did you find me?" she asked with a sigh of relief. "Charles asked me why I was so happy when I was all smiles after our first kiss. He wouldn't take 'nothing' for an answer, so he brought me here to join in on the 'fun' with him and his friends. It's what they do every Saturday night, but since I've been in high spirits lately, he wanted to see me in distress."

"He picked the wrong night to bring you," I commented.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say there's gonna be a bar fight-me versus five drunks including Charles- those fools don't stand a chance! Are you hurt anywhere?" I inspected every area of skin that was showing and found some handprints on her arms and legs.

"I was so relieved when they left, so I ran out here…I'm hiding…from them. My chest hurts...my belly aches...my limbs feel like they're made of wood...and I can't walk in heels to save my life!"

"He made you wear high heels? Did those idiots break your ankle? I see swelling," I hissed. "You need ice."

"It's just a little bruise," Esme said quietly.

I pressed on her ankle in a few places until she winced. "It's broken. Can you stay here? I'll get you some ice. It keeps the pain down."

She didn't respond as I got up, raced into the bar, and almost demanded that I have ice immediately, otherwise I was going to blow a fuse. The bartender took my attitude to be threatening and gave me a few cubes and a plastic baggie in seconds. I brought it back out to her and held it against her ankle. "Feel better, my sunshine?"

"Oooh, it's cold," she whispered and scowled in the darkness. "But I trust you that it'll help."

"Those vile animals were saying the most disgusting things about you…I wanted to kill them all." She trembled violently as I pulled her into my arms. "My sweet Esme…"

She hummed, satisfied.

Since her folded up legs covered most of her chest, it was hard to tell if she was fully naked or not. My throbbing cock strained against my pants, but thankfully, the gentleman in me noticed that her bra straps were dangling from her upper arms, so I put them back on her shoulders and tightened them in place.

"Do you want my jacket, honey?" Before she could respond, I took my forest green jacket off my back and covered her shivering frame with it. She tried to get her arms through the sleeves, but I ended up having to help her. I attempted warming up her legs by running my hands up and down them. It was then that I noticed something was missing on her face.

"Baby, where's your glasses?"

"Oh, they got lost again, I guess. Someplace in the bar..."

"I will be right back." Once again, I entered the bar and ordered the DJ to tell everyone to stop what they were doing and see if they could find a pair of black glasses with a pink rim. Finally, someone found them and gave them to me. I rushed back to my girlfriend, cleaned her glasses on my shirt, and placed them back on the bridge of her nose. Now, she could see much clearer.

She buried her face into my chest and mumbled a tearful thank you. We stayed there until a voice slurred behind us, "Hey, you seen Esme?"

She put the hood over her head so it covered her eyes. I released her and shook my head no. I saw that the guy was Charles, so I answered that she must have gone home. Charles seemed to believe me. I was in good shape.

Once he walked away from me, tripping over everything that was on the ground, I swooped her up into my arms and carried her back into the bar. When I found Renee and Charlie again, I set Esme back down on her feet and Renee held her close to her chest. Charlie was watching something interesting, so I decided to go out there and fight those guys because they had no chance in beating me. Since I was sober, I was much, much stronger than them at the moment.

Those bozos were trying to get their car to start, but they couldn't even figure out where the wheel was. I threw a stone at the window and it alerted Charles. He stomped out in a rage with his face all red. I punched him a few times until he fell down, groaning in pain. His friends came to help him, but I got them in the balls. My last move was kicking them repeatedly in their beer guts until they coughed up blood, just like Charles had made my girl do. I brushed off my hands, went back inside the bar, wrapped Esme in my arms, took her back home so she wouldn't be in trouble, and called it a night.

The last words I spoke to Esme were, "You're safe with me, my darling."

**Please check out K.K. Fush's new story White Picket Fence & ****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter & Love in the Strangest Places by MrsCarlisleCullen13...read & review those stories or Charles will come after you in the middle of the night! MUAHAHAHAHAAAAA...**

**A/N from the beta: It's true, he really will. He haunted my nightmares! :o **

**Thanks, K.K. Fush. **

**Big thank you to reviewers TeamCarlisleandEsme8, nik-edwardismylove, that kiwi chick, Just4Me, livi harkness, K.K. Fush, TeamCullenx, TheMortican'sDaughter, MrsCarlisleCullen13, ShoppingPixieAlice, and MileneLiraB! Y'all make my heart sing! Okay, now, I'm getting sappy...LOL**


	16. Through Thick and Thin

**Thanks** for beta'ing, K.K. Fush & prereading, TheMortician'sDaughter! ****

Esme POV:

They all got a kick out of my pain. All save one.

Carlisle.

I swooned when I saw my boyfriend fight for me. I felt so warm and cozy in his jacket and even when I had to give it back to him, I could still imagine it on me. I sighed and propped my chin up with my hands. We were back at school and on the couch in the teacher's lounge.

"Ez, are you even listening to what I'm saying?" Renee asked.

"Huh?" I asked dreamily.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Fallen for him yet?"

"You know I have. He respects my boundaries, and he's _so_ dreamy! His middle name should be Dreamy. Carlisle Dreamy Cullen! Too bad this damn ring won't come off!" I tried to pull my ring off but it hurt, so I had to stop.

"You can always have it cut off."

"He'll make me buy a new one," I said sadly. "It's hard to understand why Carlisle likes me...I'm someone else's property."

"Esme, go to the bathroom and look into a mirror. Let's go, right now," Renee instructed me and I followed her.

"Why are we doing this?"

"You'll see."

There was still blood on my face from last night. I was sure that was the reason Renee was making me go look at myself. I stared at my reflection blankly. "Yeah, I know, I'm a fucking mess. You don't have to tell me twice. I had to clean the cobwebs and when I screamed at spiders, Charles tripped me at the top of the stairs, making me roll down them. I look and feel like shit."

When Carmen came out of a stall and saw me cleaning myself up a little in the bathroom, she pursed her lips and shook her head. "Honey..."

"I fell down the stairs," I whispered, but meant to say it out loud. Renee looked pissed that I just lied to our friend. Carmen was one of my best friends, too, but she wasn't as close to me as Renee was. I was too ashamed to let anyone but Renee and Carlisle know about my pathetic life. But somehow, Carmen knew.

"No, you damn well didn't, and you know it, Esme," she stated harshly.

"He pushed me down the stairs. Is that better?"

"It's the truth. If I were you, I would run as fast as I could. What's holding you back?"

"Carlisle...and the children I teach...Renee..." I trailed off.

"It takes a lot of courage to stay with a man like that. I hope the fucker dies."

"Me too," I mumbled as she walked out the door. "Shit, I can't keep anything from that woman, can I?"

Renee shook her head. "No, you can't." She moved her face closer to the mirror and her mouth twisted in displeasure. "Dear me...I'm getting old!" Renee grimaced. "Look at these baggy eyes, wrinkles, and gray hairs!"

I took a closer glance at her. "You're thirty-nine and you're worried about gray hairs? Your skin and eyes look fine and you won't go gray until you're at least retired!" I reassured her.

"I'm so afraid of turning forty...and dying husbandless!"

"Oh don't worry, you'll find someone! You're young and you have time! You're so pretty; I'm sure someone out there has a thing for you!"

"Thirty-nine isn't young," she sighed. "And I'm not the most beautiful creature to have walked the earth. Look at you and me...you're curvy and slender while I'm huge!"

"You're not huge! Stop talking bad about yourself or I'll be ashamed to be your best friend and baby sister!" I teasingly threatened her.

"Okay, okay fine!"

"Now, what brought this all on?" I was concerned for Renee since she never talked about herself like this.

"I miss Charlie so much. You know my daughter, Bella?"

"Bella?" The name drew a memory into my brain and I was out of it for a few minutes.

_I noticed Renee had gotten bigger over the years. Her stomach was like a balloon! What the heck did she eat? I put my hand against her belly curiously and then something moved. "NayNay, what is that in your tummy?"_

_"I'm having a baby and it's gonna come out September thirteenth so I can't go to community college until I find someone who can care for my baby."_

_"How are babies born?"_

_"Well, pumpkin, they're born from a beautiful act of love. That's something I have to tell you later in about a year...but I have a boyfriend-"_

_"I don't like boys. They have cooties and hot dogs!"_

_"Yes, and what do girls have? You know, boys think girls are pretty gross at your age...they think you have cooties too."_

_"Really? Well, I have a wupsy, I remember Mommy telling me to wash my wupsy in the bathtub and when I take a shower, but when I was a baby, you washed it! Do guys wash their hot dogs?"_

_"Yes, they do. That's very important in an act of love, because see, the sperm is from the man and the egg is from the woman. It's like magic math, because if you add the sperm and egg, it equals a baby growing in the woman's stomach!"_

_"Cool!" I exclaimed. __"Is your baby gonna be a boy or girl?"_

_"The doctor says a girl! I have no idea what to name her..."_

_"Bella! It means beautiful in Italian!"_

_"You're so smart, baby. I'll name her that. Thanks for the idea."_

_"You're welcome!"_

_I even talked to Bella when she was in her mommy's stomach. When she was born, I held her and rocked her. I was finally happy to have a real life doll I could hold. I wanted to dress her in pretty dresses, but whenever I tried, she screamed like a banshee and her face turned beet red. Renee made me her godmother and I was so happy about that!_

"Yeah, she didn't seem to like me very much," I recalled. "What about her?"

"I need to call my daughter and tell her to babysit Alice. No matter what, that girl is getting a sitter and Bella better not say no, just because those stupid parents won't give her money. She's just gotta entertain Alice and take care of her. It'll teach her some responsibility and keep her mind off that controlling boyfriend of hers."

"That's a good idea. Is he as controlling as Charles?"

"He doesn't let her see her best guy friend, Jacob! What the fuck kind of boyfriend is that? She thinks that the only people in the world are her and him, and sometimes, Jacob. It's like, she's in the middle of the two boys. Edward has a right to be jealous, but he's just...whatever, I hate Charles more because I love you more."

"You love me more than your daughter?" I asked doubtfully.

"She's stopped talking to me. Charlie and I are divorced, as you know, and she used to go back and forth between our houses, but she doesn't even acknowledge me anymore. She says I should only focus on her, not you, even though you had a poor childhood and you needed me desperately, and you still do. Besides, she's a selfish brat...I can't wait to give her a lecture, if she'll actually get her ass on the phone to talk to me, and I told her I thought her boyfriend was a loser. She told me I didn't know shit and walked out of my life. That was four months ago, the day after her sweet sixteen. I bought her a flashy red convertible. She didn't even tell me 'no thanks', she just carelessly crashed it into a tree and bought herself a dirty pickup truck with my credit card!"

"Oh, God, I'm sorry, Renee," I mumured and pulled her in for a hug.

"It's okay. You're more fun anyway. At least you'll go shopping with me and you're grateful for my help," she said with a big smile.

"Maybe I should talk to her."

"I agree, but wait until I get my ex husband to make her babysit Alice. She needs to be in a home with terrible parents so she can be grateful for the ones she has. She loves her dad, but just a little. At least she has some room in her heart for him. So, wanna stop talking about my depressing life and move onto yours?"

I shrugged. "Sure. I want you to stop feeling bad because it's not your fault your daughter is the way she is. I think she was in my nightmare with Carlisle."

"She's a slut, I wouldn't put it past her. I asked Charlie if he could bring her over here at lunch in the teacher's lounge. She's pushed me so far that I now have to give her a lecture."

"Wow. I hope she listens."

"She better. I've hidden my depression pretty well, but it all came out once I saw her at that damn bar. My daughter disowned me and my ex had no contact with me for years. I have no idea what I did wrong." Renee stood up straight and stuck her chest out. "Nope, they're still not as big as yours. Mine shrunk! They sag!"

"I hate my big boobs," I complained. "Wanna switch?"

"It might look more realistic...taller women are meant to have large breasts."

"Pfft, you're only two inches taller than me. A short woman needs to be able to _suck_...her stomach in!" I cried. I pressed on my belly with all my might, but it still flopped out. "Stupid caramel chocolates, laffy taffies, and sour candies that Charles force feeds me. He has a fat fetish...he's trying to get me to gain weight. It's working, little by little. The only reason I'm not overweight is because he makes me throw it all up on him and aim for his mouth. He likes big beautiful women, and I am a perfect example of that!"

"Let me tell you the truth. Ready to hear it?"

I bit my lip. "Hit me with your best shot."

"You are curvy with a slightly soft tummy...that is barely noticeable." She put her hand on my tummy. "See, I can't even pinch your flesh. I can actually feel your stomach muscles. You have a way better figure than me."

We both glanced up at the door when it opened. Charles stalked in with a video camera. "Hello, there, girlies, were you just comparing your bodies?"

"You're not supposed to be here! Can't you read the sign on the bathroom door?" Renee asked him sharply while pulling my shirt down. "Get out of here!"

"Yeah, you think I pay attention to that shit? I snuck in here and caught you both at a weak moment. Both of you, make me a porn video! Grind each other!"

I stood in front of my best friend. "Don't make Renee be part of your sick fetishes!"

"I'm not interested in seeing Renee naked! I just wanna see you getting fondled by someone," Charles sniggered. "Esme, you're so fat that Renee probably would be smashed by you if she was on the bottom! Ooh, I like big girls! Come on over here, fatty! Kiss your girlfriend on camera!"

"Oh sure, give me the camera!" Renee said happily. She grabbed it from him and whacked him over the head with it, so he fell down, unconscious for the moment. We were free in seconds.

"Real women have curves! And speak for yourself, fatass, who has trouble getting off the couch!" I snapped on my way out the door. He grunted like he heard me, but made no move to get up, so we were safe.

"Who wants to do spelling?" I asked when class started.

Alice raised her hand. "Ms. Platt, your eyes are sparkling. S-P-A-R-K-L-I-N-G!"

Were they really? Well, maybe they were, because I was so happy! "Very good, Alice. Who else wants to try?"

"Me! Me!" Maggie shouted, waving her hand. I laughed.

"You go, girl," I encouraged her.

"I think you're filled with happiness like I am when butterflies are all over the sky. B-U-T-T-E-R-F-L-Y-E-S!" she said proudly.

"Wow! Good job!" I congratulated her. "You were so close, there is no 'Y' when spelling a plural...it ends in 'I-E-S'. Wait a second here, are you girls basing this spelling lesson on how I feel?"

The girls looked down and started giggling. I shook my head. "One of the boys' turn, come on."

"Diego!" Bree and Gianna both shouted cheerfully and pointed at him. He hid his face in embarrassment. Even though he couldn't spell to save his life, I wanted to give him a chance.

"Ugh, fine...what's the word?" he grumbled.

"How about, um..." I tried to think of an easy word. "Love."

He scrunched up his face. "L-U-V?"

"Alright, time for you guys to learn a song. It'll help you with that word, Diego, and for anyone else who didn't know how to spell it. That was a nice attempt, though, buddy. The song is called 'L-O-V-E' by Ashlee Simpson." I started playing it for them and pretty soon, everyone knew how to spell it. They were even dancing on the tabletops and I was joining them. Carlisle even came in and started swirling around with me! Today's class was so much fun!

"We had an interesting spelling lesson," was my only explanation as we ran to the teacher's lounge, hand in hand.

"I can see that!"

"Doctor Cullen..."

"Ms. Platt..." He brushed my nose with his, which made me burst out laughing. "What were you about to say after addressing me by my work title?"

"Oh, nothing, I just like the sound of that. It's kinda..."

"Kinda what?" he encouraged me to continue.

"You'll think it's stupid," I sighed.

"Oh, it can't be _that_ bad." He raised an eyebrow at me. "I'll tickle you if you don't tell me!"

I backed away from his wiggling fingers and giggled hysterically. "It sounds so manly!"

"Well, I like it when you say that, it sounds lovely in your voice. And your laugh is enchanting."

"Thank you," I said through my giggles. He caught me with his arms around my middle, my back against his chest, his lips at my ear.

"It's no problem, my love," he whispered and then kissed my temple.

Renee interrupted our sweet moment on the couch. "Guys, get in the closet, Bella and I need to speak privately."

It was so nerve wracking when the girl came in to meet with her mother. Bella looked at Renee with a snotty expression on her face and Renee folded her arms across her chest.

"Mom."

"Bella. Your father was shocked when he saw you whoring around with those boys from your class. What were you thinking? You have a boyfriend, don't you? Why would you cheat on him? And now, you're pregnant?"

"Yeah, I'm pregnant. What's your problem?"

"You're in high school, Bella, and you don't know the father!" she shouted.

"Kinda like you, Mom? Come on, how would you feel if your boyfriend wasn't giving you any? Oh that's right...I forgot. You don't have one!"

"That's enough, young lady!" Renee snapped.

"Mom you're old as shit! You know, I'm closer with Dad because he actually took care of me! You couldn't, and you know why? Because of some little kid who couldn't handle life! I mean, to basically abandon your child for a girl you babysat years ago? What kind of bullshit is that?"

Bella was yelling so loud at her mom that I could hear her through the door. Unfortunately, the room wasn't soundproof and I could hear every word she was saying.

"Bella!" Renee tried to get her selfish daughter's attention.

"Mom! Shut up! God!"

"That girl's name was Esme, and she was abused by her uncle and can't live with me!"

"Huh? No, abused children run away! You didn't need to be there for her! She chose to stay there! That's not my problem! You're more her mom than you're mine!"

"You're just jealous, Bella. I loved you both, but since you have been so rude, I'm starting to like Esme a lot more! She's your fucking godmother and she always played with you and protected you when you got clumsy! When you were a baby, I brought you to all the outings I went to with Esme! But you wanted me all to yourself, thus driving your father and I crazy, causing us to have a mutual breakup! I'm single and divorced from him because he decided I needed to take care of Esme more than have a husband! He actually cared about my feelings and my situation with Esme, and you never did, you selfish brat! He misses me now and wants me back! Well, guess what, I miss him too! We had to split when we had your ass!"

"How dare you!" Bella growled. "I hate her, and I hate you!"

"Bella, Esme's..."

She stared at me as tears slipped down my face. I cried into Carlisle's shirt as she continued to insult me some more.

"Fuck! Fuck you! Fuck Esme! You fucking bitch! You two stupid losers don't know anything! You left me for her! How could you?"

Renee looked at her with a pissed off expression. I was sure my face mirrored my best friend's, except she wasn't crying.

"Look at her face," she laughed. Oh, she could see me now? Good. "It's a joke! Love the sweater she's wearing!"

"Oh my God, she just insulted my clothes! They're all I can afford..." I sniffled.

"Ignore her."

"She's talking smack about me."

"I love what you're wearing, sweetie." Carlisle kissed me and we both watched Renee smack her daughter across the face. I was so shocked!

Bella stepped back from her mom and held her red cheek in pain. "Ow! Damn it!"

"You have taken it way too far with your snide remarks and I have reached the end of my rope! Your disrespectful behavior has pushed me over the edge and as you went on and on selfishly, I had to do _something_ to shut you up!"

"You abusive bitch."

"Call me that one more time, I dare you!"

"Honey, why don't you go out there before Renee kills her."

"I don't know what to say!" I panicked.

"Tell her every bit of information about your past so she can understand and apologize to you both," Carlisle suggested. "Good luck."

"Thank you." He gave me a hug before I stepped out of the supply closet.

Renee looked over at me with a grin. "There you are. Esme was hiding in there. I'm not dealing with you anymore. Maybe you'll listen to my best friend."

"Oh, shit!" Bella cursed as she glared at me. "Please, don't hurt me!"

I chuckled dryly. "I won't. Look, what is your problem with me?" I demanded.

"You made my mom leave me!" she whined.

Her comment stung, but I got ready to tell my story. "I never knew my dad! He got killed in the war. You know what happened to my mom?" I must have had a scary facial expression because Bella stepped back from me. "Thats right. You don't. A crazed lunatic murdered my mom! I watched him kill her when I was five years old. He chose to take her from me right when your mom took off for college! He was my uncle and he had perfect timing! When I was nine, he showed me his cock and tried to make me blow it. Two years later, I was eleven and he went like this to me..." I demonstrated it by putting my arm around Bella's way-too-thin shoulders and holding her close. My hand dropped down to her chest, just as Charles did to me. She tried to pull away, but I just held her tighter as the memory invaded my mind. I wanted to dig my fingernails into her skin...but I wasn't all that strong.

_"You have the thoughts of a child but your body is not childish at all..." he spoke as he took my drawings out of my hands. I clutched on tighter to the porch swing as his voice came out of his dry, cracked lips. He spat out the toothpick he was chewing onto the ground and licked his lips, slowly and deliberately, murmuring something in approval. My trembling hands had already dropped the journal I was writing in. The pages were now wrinkled and messy as he stepped on them without care. I shivered and wrapped my arms around my chest. My legs couldn't stop jiggling._

_"What do you mean, Uncle Charles?" I asked in a shaky voice. I had escaped the house to get some air and time to myself. It was the first day Renee, my best friend and babysitter, went off to college again, leaving me all alone until I would be fourteen._

_"What were you doin' there, Miss Esme?"_

_"Writing a story, sir," I explained softly. "Y-you can read it if you want."_

_He ignored me and continued staring at me with his hands shoved in his pockets. "How old are ya?"_

_"I'm eleven, sir."_

_"Not even a teenager yet...lemme take a look at ya," He removed one of his hands out of his pockets and placed it on the side of my face. "Damn, girl, you are gettin' finer each day...you're really growin' up..." He pushed a lock of my hair off my cheek, kissed my forehead, and then below my eye. Stepping back, he nodded with a sly grin. "Yep. Your figure is coming along quite nicely. Those breasts are growing larger every day. Pretty soon, I won't be able to lift you up anymore."_

_I was uneasy as he sat down next to me and pulled me into his arms. His grip was firm and too tight around my stomach. I didn't like it at all. "Can I please go to my room and write more? Or I could plant some flowers in this garden, like Mama used to do," I gulped, anticipating his answer._

_"Not now. I want time with my favorite niece," he drawled in the scratchy voice of a cigarette smoker. He kissed from my cheek all the way down to my jaw this time. "You taste so good," he moaned, nibbling at my neck. "Sexy body..."_

_I couldn't cry. I couldn't scream. All I could do was run to Renee after this was over, and she would ask me, "Oh my God, Esme, what did he do to you this time?" I would hug my doll close to my chest, trying to keep my childhood longer, and sob, "Everything but rape."_

_But right now, she wasn't here to hold me and make me feel better. She was hours away at college, University of Washington. She would say, "Mama, he hurts her," but her mom didn't believe her since Charles never left evidence and I begged her not to leave me when she went to college, but she had to since the closest one was in Washington State and I was all alone. She missed the bubbly little girl she babysat since she was fourteen and to tell you the honest to God truth, I missed the little girl in me too. She was fun, playful, and full of life, but she died when my mom was murdered._

__The pain was unbearable when I started my period when I was twelve. I was in the bathroom and Charles kicked the door open. I tried to cover myself and tell him to get out, but he insisted he needed to take a piss. So he did, right between my legs and aiming for the toilet. I must have gagged as the warm liquid touched the aching area.__

"Eeewww, what are you doing?" Bella shrieked and struggled out of my grasp. I let her go when she looked like she was about to vomit. "I don't even know you!"

"Thats exactly what I was thinking! He did that until I became emo and if not for your mom, I would be buried six feet under after jumping from a cliff! When I was eighteen, I was raped. My child died right when I had it. After college, my uncle Charles forced me to marry him and now, I'm in a forbidden relationship with the guy who fired your ass! Thats why your mom had to help me and leave you with your loving father because you didn't want to share her with me! You were a brat with a lovely childhood, whereas mine was ruined! Your mom was the only one I had in this world! Everyone else was dead. Are people you love dead?" I kept my tears back and my voice a normal pitch.

"Mom's dead to me...she went all psycho bitch on me!"

"You're lucky you have a mom! But she loves you! You just can't see that! I needed more help! Do you get beat within an inch of your life?"

"No..."

"And do you have to do everything around the house while your dad lays around watching mindless reality shows and kicking your ass whenever you're not going fast enough?"

"Guess not."

"Well, then you better be grateful for what you have and start thanking God that your possessive boyfriend hasn't dumped you for being so...selfish! You owe me a huge apology and your mom as well!"

"Sorry..."

"That's not enough! You have to show us! Alright, I'm finished with you. Go home, I can't stand seeing people like you."

"Whatever...I'm outta here." Bella rolled her eyes and left the room. She slammed the door for effect.

"Wonderful lecture, baby girl," Carlisle congratulated me.

"It was so hard!" I hugged him around the waist and cried into his shirt. "She hurt me so badly!"

"I know, sweetheart...I know..." he said softly as he combed my curls with his fingers.

"Don't take it to heart, Esme. It's the way she is," Renee muttered sourly. "Karma's a bitch, always remember that."

Two weeks later, I went shopping with Renee in the lingerie department. It was almost Valentines Day, and I felt ready to show myself off to Carlisle. I was sure he'd dump me if I didn't get brave about normal things like sex. Charles deliberately bought me bras that were too small so my chest would show more, but this time, I had my choice. I got my size, 34B, and decided on two lacy bras with matching panties, red and black. Renee bought several dozen for herself, in all the colors of the rainbow. As I tried both my bras on, I giggled and blushed. They were both equally sexy, but I could choose when it came to the actual night, depending on my mood. Renee and Charlie were going out on a double date, leaving Carlisle and I to ourselves at her house.

It would be amazing.

****Please R&R White Picket Fence by K.K. Fush & ****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter & Love in the Strangest Places by MrsCarlisleCullen13!****

**YOU'RE ALL SO AWESOME IN READING AND REVIEWING: TeamCullenx,nik-edward is my love,livi harkness,K.K. Fush,MrsCarlisleCullen13,that kiwi chick,TeamCarlisleandEsme8,CarlisleandEsme,TheMortician'sDaughter,&Just4Me!**


	17. No Matter What

**Thanks to my beta K.K. Fush and prereader TheMortician'sDaughter!  
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Carlisle POV

Charlie drove us both to Renee's house. We were in suits with cameras in our pockets and had flower bouquets and heart shaped balloons in our hands for our ladies. Luckily, Esme had previously told me that she hated chocolates filled with caramel, so I didn't get her those.

"I hope Renee takes me back...ever since I saw her at the bar, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I've asked her out for the past two weekends, but she was never free. Finally, she agreed to go out with me on Valentines Day! Third time's the charm," my best friend chuckled.

"Or maybe she was playing hard-to-get," I suggested.

"Yeah, that's a possibility," he agreed. "Man, when I saw her again after all those years, I wondered why I ever let her go in the first place. She was taking care of Esme and gave up on Bella. Well, now, I see why. I made a stupid mistake. She sacrificed me for a girl with a horrible childhood and I left her. Thought I was doing the right thing. I should have just helped her..."

"Naw, she dumped you too, bro. It was mutual. You both screwed up. It's wonderful that you guys are giving your love a second chance."

"I'm asking her to marry me again." He pulled out a black box from his pocket and I took it from his hand. "Take a look at the gold ring I'm getting her."

"Yeah? Wow, it's beautiful! I'm sure she'll say yes," I told Charlie as he pulled into the driveway. "As for Esme, it might be too soon. I'll ask her maybe six months into our relationship. I love her so much."

"Sweet, dude. You two make an excellent match."

"Thanks. So do you and Renee."

We got out of the car and shut our doors. I let him go ahead of me since this was his date's house we were going to. He rang the doorbell and Renee opened the door with a huge smile. Renee was in a short, strapless purple dress and her curly hair was up in a neat bun. Her heels made her almost as tall as Charlie. He gave her the flowers and balloons. I'd never seen her this speechless before.

"Whoa, Renee, you look-" Charlie started to say.

"Thanks, same to you. Um, we made you chocolate chip cookies. I mean, me and Esme made you and Carlisle..." She trailed off and blushed when Charlie interrupted her with a kiss to her cheek.

"Hey, where's my date?" I wondered aloud. Maybe Renee stashed her somewhere to get me back for making her be a third wheel all this time.

"Esme's locked herself in the bathroom and won't come out. Charlie, I'm gonna take you to the kitchen so we can get cookies. You can have most of them. Save half for Carlisle and Esme." As they left with the cookies, hand in hand, I went to find Esme.

"Baby girl, open up," I called to her while knocking on the door.

"I'm almost ready. Just relax on the teen lounge couch and I'll join you in a few minutes."

I did as she said, but ended up falling asleep until I heard her clearing her throat. My eyes popped wide open when I saw what she was wearing. She took off her silk robe and let it gently fall to the floor. Wordlessly, she curled up to me and let me feel her smooth skin that I never saw before. Her cute butt that was covered by black lacy panties had planted itself straight on my boner, and she turned around to let me see her cleavage. Her breasts were almost spilling out of her red push-up bra and her straight hair tumbled down around her shoulders and covered the bra straps. She looked so unbelievably sexy and beautiful that I almost had an orgasm right then and there.

"I was planning on surprising you. Now, I have to model for you." She pulled away from me and started walking slowly past me and striking cute poses. I took out my camera and zoomed it to her profile. She smiled as the flash went off. "Happy Valentines Day, Carlisle."

"Happy Valentines Day to you too, Esme. That was definitely a nice surprise, sweetie. Come here." I opened my legs so she could sit in my lap.

"You want a lap dance?" she asked. "And then we can do it. I'll give you everything I have." She almost fell into my arms and I held her close to my chest. Once I looked into her eyes, I knew something was wrong. She was scared, but she was forcing herself to engage in sex. The horny feeling started to disappear once I saw her facial expression up close. She swallowed hard and covered her huge cleavage with her arms crossed over her chest.

I massaged her back and shoulders. "You feel so tense, baby," I mumured and kissed the top of her head. Her hands were also shaking, so I kissed them as well, and each one of her fingers.

Esme shuddered. "This was easier said than done. I'm sorry I ruined my present for you."

"It's fine, my other half. You can wear something less showy if you want. We don't have to have sex until you're completely ready."

"Renee has some pretty dresses. I'll try some on." She led me upstairs and into her best friend's room. "And she got me into Katy Perry! Listen to this."

I nodded my head and tapped my foot to the beat of Last Friday Night as Esme twirled around in a blue, flowy strapless dress. She kept pulling the top up, but it just wasn't her.

"What do you think?" she asked and pulled out a tight green one. It brought out the color of her eyes, but she decided she didn't like it. "Okay, scratch that. What about...this?" She held up a neon pink one-shouldered dress that was fluffy and bulky at the bottom.

"I dunno...it looks too much like you're going to the prom. Can I look?"

"Sure, go ahead." She allowed me entry to Renee's large selection. Right away, I noticed her best friend's wedding dress. "This would look nice on you," I half joked, holding it out to her.

"No, no, come on!" she laughed. "No more wasting time."

"All right, all right..." Suddenly, I saw it. It was a short, red, sparkly dress with spaghetti straps. She would look absolutely darling in it.

"Oh yeah, Renee wore that to a costume party...I don't really count that," she mumbled and hid her face with her hair. "I feel like I should wear something sexier..."

"I think this would look great on you. It matches your personality-sweet and carefree. Beautiful and bold. Smart and romantic."

Her cheeks flushed red as she looked up at me. 'You're a good salesman." Esme took the dress from me and unzipped it at the back. She stepped into it and adjusted the straps to fit just right on her shoulders. I placed my hand on her lower back and zipped the dress up with my other hand.

"It's perfect, my love. Absolutely perfect."

She spun around. "And it flows, too! It's so glittery...oh my God, this is awesome!" She kept spinning until she toppled over in my arms dizzily. "Thank you so much! But isn't this babyish?"

"Not at all. It's so...you. It's your emotional age. I like you in red," I told her seductively. "It's flashy...daring...it would make a man's heartrate go up." I put her hand on my chest so she could feel my heart. The dress was to her knees and showed some cleavage, so it was definitely not little-girlish.

"Wow, your heart_ is_ beating fast!"

"I'm gonna die if we don't kiss right now," I said dramatically.

"Aw, the little boy wants a kissy-kissy?" she teased me. I kissed her pouty lips. She opened her mouth so my tongue could enter and entangle with hers. She moaned in pleasure and leaned back on the bed. Soon, she was laying on my chest and our kisses were slowing down. We were gasping for breath when we finished. It was the longest makeout session we'd ever had without stopping.

"Nobody can see us like this," she spoke breathlessly.

"Be mine, Valentine."

"I already am yours," her sweet voice chimed back to me. Esme sat up and grabbed my hand. "Now, should we exchange presents? I got some yummy cookies for you."

"Mmm, tasty." I licked my lips and she practically skipped down the stairs and to the kitchen. "You can get those set up on a plate, and I'll get you your gifts."

"Okay," she agreed happily. "Sounds like a deal."

I gathered them up from a random desk where I'd placed them before and returned to my woman. I wrapped my arms around her waist and held the flowers and balloons in front of her.

"Aw, thanks, Carlisle! Red roses, my favorite! And these balloons are so pretty! Here's your cookies. I had the idea to shape them into hearts. It's a little childish-"

"It's made with your love, so therefore, I am going to enjoy every last bite," I promised her and ate a cookie. "Delicious. Thank you, honey!"

"You're welcome."

"Let me put these flowers in Renee's room and then I'm gonna play 'We Found Love' by Rihanna, okay?"

"Sure, I'll join you when I gather up these cookies." I picked up the plate while she ran upstairs. I heard the pop music playing and the bed creaking. I opened the door a crack and found Esme jumping up and down on the bed, mouthing the lyrics into a hairbrush. I took out my camera and snapped a picture of her having the time of her life. Now, this was her. I loved when she did cute things like this.

"We found love in a hopeless place..." she sang out loud until she saw me standing there. "I just got caught doing something really stupid, huh?" she asked and blushed. She bounced off the bed and into my arms.

"You're so adorable when you're embarrassed." I fed her a cookie and she giggled through her bite. "It wasn't stupid, it was cute. I like seeing you have fun and being yourself." I spied a tween magazine on Renee's bed and picked it up. "Here, you can have this."

"I'm kinda starting to like these more." Esme dug through a drawer and started flipping through some trashy magazine. She showed me a picture of some blonde model and pointed to the model's anorexic-looking figure. "See, I'm trying to be like her. I need to lose so much weight..."

I took it from her hands and angrily ripped out the page. "She's too skinny. You're way prettier than her or anyone else, for that matter." She looked down and I lifted her chin with my finger. "You are beautiful."

"You mean big and beautiful?"

"No. Naturally beautiful. I love your eyes. Your nose. Your lips. And of course, I love your gorgeous curves and feeling your soft skin," I murmured and smoothed my hands from her forehead down to her toes. "You're lovely, head to toe." I kissed the healing bruise on her ankle and finished at her feet. Then, I worked up all the way back to the top of her head. I kissed every inch of her skin that was showing and moved her hair from her neck. "And don't forget your gorgeous curls, sweetheart. If you don't mind..." I opened my mouth and began to suck at her neck.

"That tickles!" she laughed. "Oh my-oh!"

"If you were anorexic like those models, I wouldn't be able to do that."

"Ohhh, Carlisle," she moaned.

"If you were anorexic like those models, I wouldn't be able to hug you without breaking you."

"Mmm..."

"And if you were anorexic like those models, I would call you a stick figure. They're boring. You're interesting."

"Oh, yes..."

"If someone was kissing them, they'd probably die from their heart beating so fast."

She gasped. "Really?"

"It's possible. Also, they're forced to party hard and take drugs. I'm turned off from those kinds of girls."

"Well, I'm glad I'm not anorexic. I'm relieved that you love me anyway even though I have extra meat on my bones. I need to slim way down, especially in my belly."

"You're still as light as a feather," I told her while picking her up. She squealed while I carried her downstairs and then back upstairs. I was perfectly fine when I put her back down on her feet. "And you're real. Flaws are good. You're perfect to me."

Esme hiked up her skirt. "Look at me! I've scraped my knee like a little girl!" I bent down and kissed it. She looked at the floor and blushed deeply.

"I'm serious, Ezzie. You're the prettiest woman I've ever met. I'm so glad we found each other. I wouldn't know what to do without you." I kissed her cheek and then her lips. "I'm attracted to your charming personality as well. There's nothing you can do or say to make me go away." My eyes trailed down to the mark I left her on her neck. Shit! Fuck, what was I gonna do now?

Esme noticed my worried facial expression. "What is it?"

"I'm so sorry!"

"What, what? What's wrong?"

"I left you a hickey," I groaned.

"I'll have to wear a scarf. That's fine, I'll use one of Renee's. I get cold easily, especially in the winter months, so Charles will buy that."

"I'm still nervous...I don't want you getting hurt by that animal!"

"You should just get an attorney."

"If I do, he'll bomb the school."

She shivered in my arms so I handed her my jacket.

"I like being in your clothes," she murmured. "They bring me comfort."

We rocked side by side for a minute and then went to eating all the cookies in front of the TV. An hour later, I burped and Esme moaned, "Ohh, I don't feel so good..."

"I think we spoiled our appetite."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Ohh, I can't even get up!"

"Apparently, scarfing down those cookies wasn't the best idea, but they were good. I'm not full, but I'll take care of you."

"Oh, thanks, you're so sweet," she mumbled and practically fell in my lap. Her head landed near my dick, so I moved it to my knee and stroked her hair and all around her face. She held her stomach and kept rubbing it.

The door opened, and Renee announced, "You are so lucky you didn't go out to dinner because we saw Charles coming out of the bathroom! He didn't see us, but we bolted out of there like lightning! We finished our dinner on the way home." She and Charlie walked into the lounge where Esme was laying on my lap and sleeping peacefully. I put my finger to my lips and they tiptoed next to us.

"I think someone was following Esme and I when I drove her here." Renee whispered.

"It better not have been Charles!" I hissed.

"We would have recognized him. Anyway, Renee, we should do this in another room. Come on." Charlie took her by the hand and they left. I knew he was proposing to her, and when they came back, Renee showed us all the ring. By that time, Esme had woken up.

"Oh, I feel so much better!"

"Awesome, girl! Look what I got!" Renee showed her the ring.

Esme's eyes got wide. "Wow, that thing is huge! I'm so glad you guys are getting remarried!"

"Me too!" The ladies shared a hug and I gave Charlie a hi-five. Tonight was the first night in a long time that Charlie and Renee would be sleeping together, so I was able to sleep with Esme on the couch. I spooned her again like I always did. We slept like babies until it was breakfast time.

Meanwhile, my son and Alice bonded quite well. It was like they were meant to be siblings. He even told me that she was like his little sister and I caught some of their conversation when I got home from Renee's house.

"Hey sis," Emmett greeted Alice with a big smile. They hugged.

"Hey bro."

"Did you have any more of those weird dreams?"

"I had one last night. They were really nice. But I cried when my grandpa got blown up...and when some man violently attacked my grandma. The little girl watching looked exactly like me so I must have been seeing my mom when she was my age."

"Jeez, Ali, sometimes you really creep me out."

"Thanks, Em. I don't know why I have these visions, I can't control them. Maybe living with my parents has turned me insane."

"You should live with me and Carlisle. I love you as a little sister anyway."

"Aw, you're nice to say that. You're the best big brother ever!"

"Thanks! It's too bad me and Rose and Jazz never knew our grandparents or even saw them in a dream. My dad and Lily said they died before we were born."

"Just be glad you didn't, and don't ask your dad or tell anyone else I said that, okay? You'll find out later, when you're thirteen. It was another bad dream."

"Don't you get any good dreams?"

"Yeah, but I can't tell you since it's gonna happen in the future! See, I have wonderful visions of the future and disturbing memories from the past. You gotta love me."

I had another encounter with Alice when I drove Esme to her childhood home the next weekend. I kissed Esme and let her go inside the house. I was planning on shooting Charles, but I never told her that. I just waited until it was dark, but then I saw a small figure climbing a tree outside the upstairs window. I got out my car to see what it was, and all of a sudden, the little girl landed in my arms.

"Alice, what in God's name were you thinking?"

"I can climb a tree?"

I sighed. "That's very dangerous. You're lucky I'm here. Anyway, what were you doing up there?"

"I'm gonna use my powers to get Esme's things. Mind giving me a lift?"

I noticed a ladder leaning against the tree. "Sure, I'll get that ladder over there and help you out. Sit on my shoulders." She was light on my shoulders and I held her legs tight against my chest. Her little hands walked up the ladder with my help and pretty soon, she was on the roof.

"Thanks Carlisle," she said gratefully as she opened the window by simply staring at it. "Esme had such a lovely bedroom. I see a diary, so I'll take that. We can hide it in the snow." A leather-bound book dropped to the ground. She was now whispering, "Come here. Come on, Ali. Come on, doll. Please, come on. Please, Ali, come here."

A rag doll and three cookies threw themselves into Alice's arms and then she moved to another window. She used her power to make the time go forward, which caused the clock to chime. Charles was inside that room and he looked up, startled. He was about to sit down, but Alice moved the furniture with her eyes and the clock chimed again, signaling another hour had passed. The lights turned on and off, papers and videotapes flew everywhere and some hit Charles in the head. He groaned, but I could tell he was getting scared now. The picture of him burned in the fireplace as he shouted, "ANNE! Leave me alone, you stupid bitch! You're dead!"

The papers fluttered to the floor as Esme calmly walked into the room. "Charles, you're drunk, having hallucinations. My mom's not a ghost, she's an angel up in heaven."

"Shut the fuck up! Get over here!" he shouted at her. He started raping her, so I pulled Alice away from the scene before the girl could get traumatized any further. I heard a crash and realized Alice had moved Charles' car. It ran a stop sign and smashed into a tree. Charles looked up sharply, stomped away from Esme, and left his house, waving his arms madly. I gathered Alice and her goodies into my arms and carefully stepped down the ladder. We took off into a sprint towards my car and left for my house.

Esme came to visit me in the hospital at noon, like she always did every other day. Today, though, she'd meet my co-workers. I wanted her to know as many people as possible, even though my co-workers, with the exception of Lily, were not that close to me.

"Carlisle, what's up?" Gerandy came up behind me and slapped me on the back. Betty, his nurse, was standing next to him when Esme and I turned around.

"Who's she?" Betty asked as Esme stepped back when Gerandy went to shake her hand.

"My girlfriend, Esme. She's shy."

"Oh, how cute! She's so precious!" Betty squealed. Esme didn't say anything. She just looked down and bit her lip nervously.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I soothed her. "This is Doctor Gerandy and Nurse Betty," I introduced them to her.

"Wow, Betty's so pretty..." Esme whispered to me.

"I know! It only cost me 1,000 bucks!" I rolled my eyes. Betty could get really conceited at times.

"I wish I had that much." I shushed her so she wouldn't think negatively about herself.

"Esme, come on into the bathroom with me while the guys talk. It'll be only for a second."

"Um...I don't really have to use it..."

"Oh, please?" Betty pouted and fluttered her fake eyelashes.

Esme shrugged. "Okay." The women linked arms and I hoped Esme would be fine.

"She doesn't seem to love you," Gerandy commented out of the blue. "You're whipped! Why would you want to be with someone that clingy and depressed? She doesn't say a word. Why is she hanging onto you like that?"

"What?" I asked, shocked and angered. "I thought you were my friend. How could you betray me like that? Esme is my girlfriend, and I will always love her. She's emotionally damaged-"

"She's no good for you," he cut me off. "She's wasting your time! Why love her since she'll never love you back if she doesn't even love herself? Betty is my daughter. She has a massive crush on you. And yet you chose that-that _broken_ woman over my princess! Betty always gets what she wants, and she wants you! Don't you understand me? We rich people have to stick together." The idiot put his arm around my shoulder, so I shrugged it off.

"Sir, your daughter may be a daddy's little girl, but she is definitely not my type. Hate to break it to you, but Esme will be mine forever."

"Betty's twenty-two, and she needs to settle down with someone. You're the best man for her," he continued to argue.

"Oh, and I haven't gained a pound since starting puberty! You my dear, need to start working that body that I know you have!" a high, annoying voice said. Just then, Betty latched onto her father and looked up at him. "Did you get him, Daddy?"

"Sorry, I don't date or marry Barbie dolls," I growled and held Esme close to my side. "This woman right here is perfect for me." I kissed her passionately just to prove my point. "Do I make myself clear?" The two robots across from me nodded.

"She patted my stomach, Carlisle. I know that it's plump," Esme said to me in a hushed tone. "And she invited me to a sleepover at her house. I need her help."

I gritted my teeth and steered her away from them. "You're beautiful just the way you are. No plastic bitch or bastard will ever change my mind."

"I heard what your co-worker said about me," she mumbled. Tears pooled in her eyes.

"My darling, I love you, no matter what anyone else says."

"You're not embarrassed to be seen with me?"

"Embarrassed to be seen with-no, never!" I took her face in my hands and proudly kissed her right in the middle of the hallway until she had to return to the meantime, I called Bella.

"Uh…h-hello?" Bella asked in an odd tone.

"Bella, it's Carlisle. You've been a wonderful babysitter to my son and Lily's children, but Emmett recently told me that he can take care of himself and his friends, he's ten and he's old enough not to need one…"

"I'm fired, right?"

"I'm sorry, there was no easy way to say that. You were great, but I'm letting you go."

"You don't need me anymore. It's okay…my mom left me so she could take care of this nine year old kid who's like in her twenties now…whatever, I guess we have to lose touch as well."

I frowned. "Wait, you mean Esme? I met her and your mom five months ago."

"I guess so."

"She had a rotten childhood, apparently." I gritted my teeth to keep from swearing at this heartless snob.

"Okay. I've only had a father all my life. Mom must have liked this girl better than me."

"Just please don't hate me. It's not you, we simply no longer require a sitter. Once again, I'm so sorry, Bella."

"Kids grow up too fast. Guess I'll see you later," she muttered.

"Bye."

I was in such a bad mood that I didn't feel like working anymore today. I felt sick to my stomach when those losers insulted my girl the way they did. My only real colleague was there for me at least.

Lily slid into the car just then. "Heard you on the phone with Bella…what happened?"

"I had to tell her that we didn't need her anymore in the nicest way that I could, but she didn't take it very kindly. She was sort of immature about it…she was upset, but she took it personally. She made it sound like she was more important than Esme."

"Well, that was rude. Sorry she's a selfish bitch!"

I put both hands on the wheel and leaned my head against the horn, making it honk loudly. "Damn it!"

Lily jumped slightly. "What did your steering wheel ever do to you?"

"Gerandy and Betty are losers! They hate her!"

"Oh, they're just jealous."

The next day before meeting Esme at lunch, Alice ran up to me and told me something very strange. "I had a dream of my birth. My mother was knocked out. A creepy looking guy picked me up, gave me to this red haired lady, and shook her husband's hand. It was so weird. I woke up when some other lady started screaming about her baby being gone. The doctors told her the infant died suddenly when the nurses washed off her blood."

"How do you know it was your birth?" I asked, puzzled.

"I heard: 'Mary Alice Brandon is now mine, all mine!' and evil laughter echoing."

Alice sure was an interesting kid.

****Please R&R White Picket Fence by K.K. Fush&****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter&Love in the Strangest Places by MrsCarlisleCullen13...or else!  
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**Almost 200 reviews? I can't believe this! Thank you to ****MrsCarlisleCullen13,**** livi harkness,**** K.K. Fush,****that kiwi chick, ****TeamCarlisleandEsme8, ****TheMortican'sDaughter, ****CarlisleandEsme, ****and Just4Me!**


	18. Discoveries

**Lots of thanks to my beta, K.K. Fush, and my prereader, TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Esme POV

"Esme! Esme!" Alice shouted, running up to me in the playground. She hugged me tightly around my waist. I looked down at her with a huge grin on my face.

"Hey, there, girlie! How are you?"

"I'm great! I forgot to give these to you yesterday, but here." She handed me a cookie and my Ali doll.

"God bless you, baby," I sighed. "But you swore on my mother's gravestone that you wouldn't return to that house."

"I didn't actually go in. I climbed up a tree, but then I fell into Carlisle's arms. He was there for some reason. Anyway, he helped me climb a ladder that was leaning against the house and I sat on his shoulders. I used my powers to get your doll and the cookies. He and I ate ours already."

I munched upon the chocolate chip cookie so I could have time to think. That was a lot for me to take in. "You and Carlisle did _what_? With your powers?"

Alice nodded and used her eyes to bounce a nearby ball up and down. "I'm awesome at this now. Evil Alice is on the loose. I'm like Wonder Woman. Well, Wonder Girl."

I just stared at her in shock.

"You should give the doll to Renee so you don't get in trouble with Charles," she advised me.

"Right." I took her hand and we ran to my best friend's office.

I felt like I was about to faint once I got into the room. I sank down on a chair with my hand over my forehead and closed my eyes.

"Ez, calm down, it's not like Alice did anything horribly wrong. She's your little daredevil." I felt Renee hugging me.

"Yeah, and Carlisle went with me! I was okay!" Alice added.

"I'll hide the doll in my closet. Charles will never know."

"You're right, he never did care about your belongings," I agreed. "Thank you, Alice, you're my hero, and so is Carlisle." I kissed the top of her head when she sat herself in my lap.

"Hey, you two. It's almost eight. You better scram cuz Esme, you and I need to get to teaching." I handed Renee the doll and she stuffed it into a drawer. When we left, she locked her office door.

"Alice, you gave me a scare. You could have died falling out of that tree," I hissed as we walked to the classroom.

"It'll be okay, Ms. Platt. Renee's not worried about it."

"She doesn't know that you nearly killed yourself!"

"It's nice to know that you care about me so much. Carlisle was there to protect me. I got lucky."

"You did. Okay, now, go to your seat. I'm back to being your cool teacher instead of your cool older friend."

Alice pouted and stuck her tongue out at me. "Really?"

"Yes." I made a funny face back at her. "Class, we are going to start art projects today! You may draw or paint any type of day you want. It can be a sunny day, rainy day, cloudy day, whatever you choose. It's due by ten. Then we're going to practice our writing," I announced. Needless to say, I was keeping these kids busy. I really wanted to see my boyfriend so badly right now. We'd only been apart for under twenty-four hours, but it felt like an eternity.

I wonder if it's actually possible to swoon to death. You get weak in the knees and your heart beats way too fast, so maybe. I've felt this way ever since Carlisle kept me warm that one night and we snuggled. For four months, that man had been nothing but sweet and loving to me. It was as if we'd been in a relationship since Halloween night. I smiled at my thoughts and ran into his arms when I saw him waiting for me at lunch in the teachers' lounge. He spun me around and I squealed with delight.

"Hola, mi amor," he whispered into my hair.

"Hey, Carlisle. How was work?" I asked casually. "And has Carmen been giving you Spanish lessons?"

"It was decent. And I took Spanish classes in high school. But there's something I've been wanting to do ever since I saw you yesterday."

"What?"

"Kiss you, of course, silly," he laughed while he molded his lips onto mine. "Judging by your beautiful smile, I trust you had a great day?"

"Ah, yes," I sighed. "Alice stole my things from Charles' house so I gave them to Renee. And you encouraged her to do it." I tried to sound serious and scolding, but I ended up being happy about it. Maybe I was being too much of a mother. She wasn't even my daughter! I shouldn't freak out about it anymore, so I told myself to shut the hell up.

"I see. I thought it was dangerous too, you know. That's why I helped her. She had a good reason. That reminds me, Esme, I have something to show you. Let's get outta here for fifteen minutes. It's at your childhood home. Not Charles' house, by the way."

Carlisle was in a hurry; I could tell by the way he grabbed my hand and rushed me out of the school. I giggled when he lifted me up and placed me in the passenger seat of his black Mercedes.

"Sorry I'm not as fast as you," I apologized while breathing hard and putting on my seatbelt. He was already starting his car.

"You can relax, baby, it's all right. I should have carried you-"

"But that would have slowed you down," I pointed out.

"You're pretty fast when I hold your hand."

I could give him that. Again, I dropped the subject.

Once we got to my old house, I opened the door and stepped out of the car. It was freezing! I really should have remembered my coat, scarf, and gloves!

"I'll keep the car running and help you find what I wanted to show you."

My teeth were chattering even when Carlisle rubbed his hands up and down my arms. He took off his huge jacket and let me wear it so he was just in his lab coat, scarf, gloves and pants.

"Aren't you c-cold?" I asked.

"I can handle it for a few minutes, sweetheart, but I don't want you to be chilly for even a second," he explained while buttoning me up. "You can start digging around, here's my gloves." He slipped them on my hands and they were sort of huge.

"Thank you."

As I put my hands out to steady myself, I felt something hard buried in the snow. Curiously, I dug it out. I blew the rest of the remaining snow off the cover and saw that it was some kind of a book. "Anne's Diary..." I read out loud. My heart did a little jump. I couldn't believe this. Did they find this?

"Hm?" Carlisle turned his head to face me. "What's that?" He pretended not to know about it, but I knew that he knew.

"Looks like my mom's diary."

"Let me see. How did it even get here?" he asked as he took it out of my hands.

"Beats me." I shrugged. "Maybe you two got it from the house."

"That makes sense," he murmured, enjoying his own joke. "Here you go."

I rolled my eyes at his teasing and opened it to the first page and started reading. The writing was pretty legible, even though it was faded and the pages were yellowed. "August thirtieth, nineteen-seventy-nine. Dear Diary. My first day of college went pretty well. The guy I met this summer, John Platt, is in some classes with me. We had a fling and we continued it. Some may say our relationship started way too fast, but I'm a hopeless romantic...after all, I had known the man for six months and we were bound to become close friends. Might as well be a couple if we're in love with each other. He's gonna enlist in the military. I'll miss him when he goes. Till next time. Anne." I was crying as I read it, so he took over for me. He put his arm around me and held me close. My parents were so in love with each other just as Carlisle and I are now. I gulped and tried to calm down. I read over his shoulder through my blurred vision and then wiped my eyes.

"Okay, next entry, January twentieth, nineteen-eighty-four. Dear Diary. Sorry I haven't written much in four years. College and life has kept me so busy. I'll catch you up, don't worry. I finally graduated and met John's family at the ceremony. The good news? His dad and stepmom are awesome and supportive of us. The bad news? His stepbrother, Charles, is a creepy stalker! He keeps asking me out and I've turned him down every time. He's kinda boring and gross looking...he's way too strict and whenever I tell him I'm busy, he acts like he's got a stick up his ass. Can't he just take rejection like a mature person? He's the complete opposite of John. My boyfriend's smart, attractive, and fun, but he knows when to be serious. Charles seems to be really jealous of John. He's never grateful when John offers to help him get girls and he refuses every time. He wants to do things his own way and is obsessed with things or people he can't have, namely me. I came to visit John's place on our anniversary and Charles made another pass at me. Eewww, why can't he just leave me alone! He's tried kissing me, groping me, and getting me in bed with him, but I'm staying with John forever. Thank God we moved to Forks where Charles can't find us. Love you, Anne.

"December nineteen eighty-eight. Dear Diary. Once again, real life took me away from you. Two years ago, John and I were blessed with a baby girl, along with our adopted daughter, Renee, who was then fourteen. She ran away from home and we knew she'd be a perfect babysitter for our daughter Esme. I've been so sad lately...my husband has passed away from the war, leaving me, Renee, and Esme to fend for ourselves. While I'm busy working with gardens, Renee takes care of Esme. Charles found out about his brother's death. Needless to say, he was ecstatic. But my life was over...my two baby girls were all I had. I would die for them.

"I'm so scared of the future. I can't fall in love again. I'll forever be a war widow. Who will help me raise my babies? Renee's only sixteen...if Charles ever comes near them...after what he did to Esme...

"She didn't finish her thought. Nothing else is on these pages."

"She didn't sign her name like she usually did. I wonder what happened that day," I murmured. "It must have been after he threatened to kill me with the scarf. She knew he was dangerous."

"I wish someone killed his ass," he muttered with distaste.

"Me too. Can you keep it for me?"

"Sure, honey." Carlisle helped me up off the ground and into the car. "Let's go on a date this Saturday. I'll take you out for a picnic someplace far away, where he can't see us."

"I can't wait! That will make up for me missing Friday night with you and Renee."

"Aw, why do you have to sleep over with Betty?"

"Well, she asked me, and I want to try being friends with her. Remember, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

It was a huge mistake.

After Renee dropped me off at Betty's, I looked all around her huge mansion. "Whoa, your house is so nice-looking."

"I know. Daddy's a billionaire. He's really my uncle, but I like to call him Daddy since my mom died giving birth to me and my dad killed himself because of it. My uncle loves me. He's always been there for me and is like a dad, so I call him Daddy."

"Oh. You live with your uncle," I stated dully.

"Yeah. Once I find someone, I'll live with that guy. At least I _have_ a home."

"I-I never said you didn't," I mumbled and looked down.

"Okay! Let's go to my room!" she squealed. I winced at the pitch of her voice. Someone had way too much coffee...

I picked up my bag and followed her upstairs. She opened a door and I was blinded with all the white. White walls, white bed, white desk...almost like a hospital room.

"It's...nice," I said quietly.

"Yay! You like it! Yay, yay, a thousand times yay!" She jumped up and down and tried to make me jump with her, but I stayed put. "Hey, aren't you excited?"

I smiled. "Yep. What should we do now?"

"I wanna give you a makeover! Those glasses need to go. Don't worry, I have contacts."

I just stared as she took my glasses off and snapped them in half. My eyes widened when she came at me with the contacts. I blinked while she put them in my eyes. They were very uncomfortable and I could barely see, but I didn't want to give her trouble.

"Well, what do you think?" She spun me around.

"Thanks."

"I know, I'm a genius, right? Now, makeup time! Face powder...three different shades of eyeshadow...lots of blush...you need to be gorgeous to feel gorgeous! Hmm, what to do about those lips? Oooh, lipstick!"

I glanced at myself in the mirror. "Wow."

"Now...your clothes."

"My clothes?"

She went through her closet. "You need skin-tight clothes to show off your figure. And the more skin that's showing, the better. Here, try on this outfit." She handed me a faux fur cami that showed my belly and a silky miniskirt that almost revealed my underpants. I looked like a tramp.

"It's too revealing."

"Oh, you'll get used to it! I wear this stuff all the time! Daddy buys it for me. I never have to spend a cent! I always get what I want! I'm his little princess! He thinks I'm pretty, too!"

"That's cute."

"Me and Daddy look so good together! We've been together for twenty-two years."

"Have you now?"

"Yes! And we love to work together at the hospital. Gosh, we've saved so many lives!"

"Hm."

"So many! We've never lost a patient! He's the best doctor ever...well, actually, both him and Carlisle are tied for the best! I kinda have a crush on Carlisle..." she giggled. "But it's teeny-weeny, so you have nothing to worry about!" she assured me when she noticed my glare.

"I see," was all I said. My stomach rumbled. "Should we eat dinner yet?"

"Nope! I don't eat that much. You should skip eating tonight, sweetie. It would keep your figure like mine."

"But don't you get hungry?"

"Used to it. Now, let's watch The Bad Girls Club marathon!" She pressed a button on a remote in her room and the wall opened to reveal a giant plasma screen TV that was already playing the dreaded reality show. A few minutes into it, she was shaking me awake. I was so lonely, but I knew she wouldn't let me call Carlisle or Renee. Why did I ever agree to this?

Barking noises filled the house and Betty jumped up. "Daddy and Paris are home! Come down and meet them!" She pulled me by the hand and we went downstairs. I saw Dr. Gerandy coming through the front door with a little Pomeranian who was furiously yipping at us.

"Where's his leash?"

"Oh, it's a girl. And she is very well trained." There was a puddle on the floor just as she said that. "Well, almost! She never runs away from us on a walk! DADDY!" She jumped into the older man's arms and he rubbed her back and kissed her head. I turned away. For some reason, it made me uncomfortable.

Suddenly, I felt pain on my leg. Her stupid animal was clawing at me and I felt like kicking it off me. "Ow!" I yelped.

"Oh! Sorry, Ellie. Paris, off! Come to Mommy. Come on."

The dog trotted to its owner and climbed into her arms. "Betty, my name's Esme. Your dog hurt me."

"Oh well, everyone makes mistakes, even the rich and famous! Did you know we both starred in a TV show? It was canceled, unfortunately."

"Gee, I wonder why," I muttered.

"Anyway, wanna hold her?"

The dog barked at me and bared its teeth. It even growled and gave me a death stare. Like dog, like owner, I guess.

"I don't think she likes me," I sighed, pretending to be sad about it.

"Boo, that sucks!" She pouted at me. "Well, let's go to bed!"

"It's like eight..."

"You look tired, you need some sleep. I'll look even better!"

I bit my lip. "Okay. Are you comfortable with a nightlight being in the room? I'm kinda scared of the dark."

"Are you kidding me? I'm not seven! I was seven when I gave mine to an orphanage. You don't need a nightlight. You're three years older than me!"

"Oh...that's okay then. I'll be fine." She led me upstairs while I held back my tears.

Hours later, I felt the bed shift and loud moaning sounds right after.

"Oh, Daddy! That feels so good!"

Was he giving her a massage?

"Yes! Please, more! Oh my God! Oh...oh...fuck yes!"

Who got that excited over a massage?

"Oh, yeah, sexy, there you go, come for me, hot mama..." a man growled.

I followed the noise to a huge master bedroom. The door was open, but I had no idea why.

"Yeah, Daddy, I like your big rock hard cock inside me! Yes!"

"And I like your large, bouncy breasts!"

I almost threw up when I saw his naked form on top of hers and ran for the phone to call Carlisle for a ride to his house. Thankfully, my man picked up right away. He was there for me anytime. That was one of the things I loved about him.

"What's wrong, Esme?"

"Please pick me up!" I begged. "Oh God, please. It was so disgusting. I feel like I'm gonna vomit! Seriously, oh my God."

"I'll be right there. Tell me what happened."

I heard his car starting as I took a deep breath. "I saw Betty having sex with Gerandy. And get this-they're uncle and niece, but she calls him 'Daddy'! Her parents died, long story."

"What the fuck?" he exclaimed angrily. "They had the nerve to do that in front of you?"

"No, I heard noises and I went to investigate. Big error on my part."

"Anyone would be curious."

"She let her dog claw at my leg! It hates me but I don't give a shit. I just felt awkward there...she also didn't allow me to eat dinner or use my nightlight!"

"I'm coming to your rescue, Ezzie. Get your stuff together and try avoiding the sick perverts."

"I don't even want to go back upstairs," I admitted.

"Okay, you don't have to. Stay put!"

"You've been a bad little girl, haven't you?" I heard Gerandy shouting at Betty. My stomach lurched as she replied that she was going to be all naughty for him.

I moaned and ran for the sink. After I barfed, Gerandy appeared in the kitchen all of a sudden, stark naked. I shrieked and covered my eyes. "You can be between us if you like," he said with a smirk as I backed further and further away from him.

"No, thank you!" I declined his invitation and left the room.

"Aw, it was just a joke!" he guffawed and walked back up the stairs. Just as he did so, Carlisle pounded on the door. I unlocked it and let him in.

"I saw him naked. It was so gross!" I sobbed into his shoulder as he caressed my hair.

"Alright, let's get your things, lovely girl. Come on, I'll hold your hand."

I practically clung onto his arm while holding his hand as we walked slowly up the steps.

"You don't have your glasses," Carlisle pointed out to me.

"Betty broke them and gave me contacts. I hate them!"

At that, he was furious. He made Betty pay him enough to buy me new glasses that were just like my old ones.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed gratefully as I put them on.

"No problem, sweet girl,"

Our picnic on Saturday was fun. He bought his homemade spaghetti and we both ate it in seconds. Then we just laid down on the grass together and looked up at the sky. He got out his camera.

"Your hair looks so pretty in the sun," he complimented me.

"Thanks." I smiled as he took my picture.

"I'll treasure this forever," he murmured and touched my cheek and then my lips with his. The kiss started out slow and then gradually faster, but still as soft. Carlisle was never rough with me.

He took me to a nearby baseball game and bought us hot dogs and giant chocolate chip cookies. We gorged until we were full.

Suddenly, a player got a home run and we jumped up and cheered. As we did that though, a large, dark shape ran through heaps of people. The person was causing all kinds of commotion, so I squinted to see who it was. I gasped when I saw him. My heart pounded hard against my chest and I started shaking nervously. We were busted.

"Carlisle!" I screamed. "He's gonna catch us!"

"Let's get outta here," he decided and carried me to his car.

Unfortunately for us, Charles got himself thrown out of the stadium. It gave him the upper hand, so we frantically drove home to my house.

"Pretend you have a fever." Carlisle rushed me to my bed and I quickly got in while panting hard. He smoothed his hand over my head and gave me a quick kiss on my lips. "Feel better soon, sweetheart. I love you!"

"What if we never see each other again?" I worried.

Carlisle took my hands in his and pulled me close to him. "We will, I swear on your mother's gravestone, we will."

I waved goodbye at him as he escaped the house without interference from Charles. Five minutes later, I heard Charles coming up the stairs. Automatically, I hid under the sheet until the door slammed open and banged against the wall. _Oh god, he knows_!

"I followed you to Renee's house on Valentines Day, but I wonder why you didn't go out to dinner with her. I recognized that your breasts jiggle quite nicely when you're jumping up and down. I should know, I've studied your body for years."

A shiver ran up and down my spine as he massaged my breasts and ran his hand under my shirt. He saw me going off with Carlisle and put two and two together! I took a deep, shaky breath as I explained and was able to convince him that he was too drunk and had a hallucination that he thought he saw me.

"You're right, my bad. I'm sorry, well, get some rest. I'll bring you some medicine." He left the room and when he came back, he was being too nice. It was creepy, actually. At least I got a good night's sleep without him bothering me. He even let me go on the bus the next morning and I had a nice time talking to Alice during the ride.

"I just don't believe they're my parents," Alice mumbled out of the blue. "I wanted to be called Alice but my parents named me Mary."

"I like Alice better than Mary too," I admitted with a smile. "They are very different from you," I agreed.

"Well yeah, that, but I meant biologically. They don't even look like me. James is incredibly obese and Victoria is anorexic. Not even my grandparents resemble me. Everyone's tall in my family; I'm the only midget."

"You're not a midget. Maybe one of them dyed their hair from brown to blonde or red."

"Nobody has green eyes in my family either, everyone has gray eyes, almost black. It's just impossible that I would be born from my mother's stomach. We couldn't be related. I think I was adopted...or abandoned and left on their doorstep...kidnapped, perhaps?"

"That's weird. Who kidnaps a baby?"

"Horrible people, like Principal Evenson...or my parents. Esme, do you think I was abducted?"

I shook my head. "I don't know...do you have any childhood pictures or birth certificates signifying that you are your parents' child?"

"Yeah, but I think those birth certificates are lies. All my life, I felt like I belonged with someone else. She's out there, I know she is."

"What about your possible father? Who does your real mother look like in your mind?"

"My daddy is despicable. I was the result of something bad, I just know it. I never want to meet him, but I feel like I already did. My mommy, on the other hand, was wonderful, or she is. I know she's still alive. She looks like a perfect angel. She has brown curly hair, a heart shaped face like mine, and shiny green eyes. In my heart, I know that she and I have a strong connection, ever since I started school and saw you as my teacher. I just have this vibe that maybe...you're my mommy."

I thought about it for a few seconds. I was raped at age eighteen so if my baby did live, he or she would be six and a half right about now, the same age as Alice.

"It's impossible," I gasped. "My baby died of SIDS."

"Esme, look at the clues! I was born on April ninth. So was your baby-"

"Lots of babies are born on the same day and the same time," I whispered. I wanted to believe it as much as she did, but I just couldn't. It was simply wishful thinking. Charles prevented me from having children after I had my miscarriage, and many more after to this day.

"Please hear me out! I'm incredibly intelligent, as are you. We have the same face shape, identical shades of green in our eyes, small statures, dimples on both cheeks when we laugh, and when you straighten your hair, we have golden brown locks. Mine are never curly, though, just naturally wavy. Get out your childhood pictures," she begged me.

I sighed and dug through my purse to find a picture of Renee and I hugging the day before my mom died. "Here you go, I was your age in this picture, or a year younger."

She held it up to her own face. "See the similarities?" She smiled like I was doing in the picture.

I looked from her to the picture and sucked in a breath. It couldn't be...

****Please read&review White Picket Fence by K.K. Fush, ****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter&Love in the Strangest Places by MrsCarlisleCullen13!****

**Many hugs&kisses to readers and reviewers-K.K. Fush, CarlisleandEsme, Just4Me, TeamCullenx, livi harkness, that kiwi chick, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, TheMortician'sDaughter, and Mrs. CarlisleCullen13!**

**And thanks, K.K. Fush, for giving me an idea on Charles realizing Carlisle&Esme's secret relationship!**


	19. Emergency

**Yeah, yeah, sorry I'm a little late!**

Carlisle POV

It had been one and a half months since Esme and I first started dating and hiding our relationship from Charles. This time, though, I wasn't careful. I wasn't watching where we were. I blamed myself for him seeing the two of us together. I expected he would murder me if he ever saw me again. I avoided going near that school until the kids begged me to drive them there on Friday morning. Even still, I was nervous, but I gave into their wishes.

While they were chattering in the backseat, I was keeping my eyes on the road, but some car zoomed into mine, barely missing it. The children screamed, I swerved and breathed out, "Whoa, that was close."

"That was the principal!" Emmett exclaimed.

"He's a bad driver!" Rosalie added.

"We should call the cops on him!" Jasper shouted.

I couldn't agree more, but too bad he was friends with all the cops. Esme wasn't in his car, so that's why I didn't notice it was him. I started feeling very frightened about the reason that she wasn't in his car.

Once I dropped them off at their respective classrooms, Charles asked me to follow him to his office. I jumped when he tapped me on the shoulder and hesitantly went with him into his office of doom. The door creaked open and there was Esme, finishing off a cinnamon bun. She stood up at our presence and curtsied, I guessed for Charles.

"How did you like that delicious breakfast, dearie?" he asked in a creepy voice.

"It was yummy. Do you mind if I wash up?"

"I think it would be better if Carlisle cleaned you up himself. You two seem to be pretty comfortable with each other! Oooh, wedding bells are ringing!"

He was doing this on purpose! He dragged us into his office so we could prove our love to him! I hated this evil prick! I knew if I didn't do what he said, we would both be dead meat. There was no way out of this. We already got busted a couple of days ago.

Esme looked down. "I'm not allowed to look at other men or talk to them. Remember those rules, Charles?"

"Esme Anne Evenson," he said in an even voice, "go to Carlisle immediately and let him lick the crumbs from your fingers and around your mouth."

"Yes, sir," she said quietly and took shaky steps toward me.

"Carlisle, please take both of her hands. Very good. Now bring them up to your lips, open your mouth wide, and suck."

Her hands were trembling in mine and I cleaned her fingers slowly with my tongue. She visibly gasped and tried not to moan with pleasure.

"Okay, he's eaten all the crumbs off my fingers," she mumbled.

"Now, Carlisle, smooth your hands down the length of her body, starting with her shoulders, move down to her back, onto her stomach area, up her arms, back down her legs, and then kiss her with as much passion as you like. You can even touch her privates."

Esme looked up at me with a scared expression on her face. I held her close to me and did exactly what the monster said, but I didn't dare touch her where she didn't want me to. I lifted her chin so our eyes could meet and my mouth took hers instantly. She tasted sweet and it filled me with desire. I swept my tongue over the crumbs around her mouth and stroked her cheeks with my thumbs. My hand stroked through her curls and my other hand was on her lower back. Esme, however was as stiff as a board. Tears trickled out of her eyes and I kissed them away as quickly as they came. I didn't want her to make him suspicious, if he wasn't already.

Charles stepped forward with a smirk on his face and put his hands on both our shoulders. "Good work, you two. You guys make great actors. Now, Esme, wrap your legs around his waist and Carlisle, bang her hard against the wall. Get naked and be my porn stars!"

"No thank you, sir. She doesn't look like she'd want to have sex with a stranger."

"You're not a stranger to her! I know there's something going on between you two!" Charles bellowed as I released Esme. She stared down at the floor and we both stayed quiet.

"I swear there's nothing going on!" I shouted. "You may think there is, but-"

"Shut up! As I said before, I _know _there's something going on with you two idiots! You're going out behind my back! Carlisle, get the fuck out of here! If I see you near her again, I will kill you!" He forcefully shoved me out the door and I walked unsteadily to my car.

I couldn't concentrate on anything and I was nervous all day until she called me that evening. Surprisingly, it was her name that flashed on the screen, not Renee's.

"Hi, Carlisle," she spoke softly.

"Esme, how are you? I thought you would be at Renee's."

"I called her already and told her I couldn't come. Charles is making me pasta and he thinks I'm still talking to Renee. I'm not feeling too well, but Charles is taking care of me and actually being a nice uncle...it's creeping me out. He gave me water at first and that's when I started feeling horrible. Maybe he poisoned me or something."

"Baby girl, this is your chance to run. You trick him, okay? Stay on his good side and then just _escape_!"

"I can't," she moaned. "I have stomach cramps that are so bad that Charles has had to carry me to the bathroom several times and then carry me back to bed. I'm having dinner in bed while he watches television. I'm too weak to do anything right now. Oh, no..." Her voice faded and an unpleasant sound made itself heard through the phone. "Sorry...you don't want to see me. My mom would be turning in her grave if she knew my condition. I look so gross right now. I'm all pale and...sick. Oh, god, he's coming...I have to go." She hung up before I could even say goodbye.

Rain began pattering against the windows and thunder boomed loudly outside. I knew Esme was terrified of this kind of weather and I wished I was with her at this moment. I couldn't focus on the book I was trying to read, so I set it down on my nightstand and made Emmett and Jasper their dinner. They were having a spring break sleepover just like the girls were doing over at Lily's house. It was to celebrate the beginning of their week long vacation from school.

"Say, Dad...I did some math and figured out that you are fourteen years older than me. I saw this old news report about this lady with the last name of Cullen. It said she lived with she my mom? Why did you lie and say she died?"

I turned to face my son in shock. "Emmett, your mother was not a very nice person. She'd be better off dead. I don't wish to discuss this any further."

"Why did you marry her then?"

"At first, she was genuinely kind to me, but then, she cheated and turned into a criminal. We didn't marry, since we were only in high school, but she pressured me for sex, and being the stupid teenage boy I once was, I agreed. But I don't regret it one bit, since she's gone and you're the best son I've ever had, buddy," I explained, ruffling his hair. Thankfully, Jasper kept him occupied while I finished ordering their pizza and making their fettachini. The three of us watched a movie and after I got the boys into bed, my phone rang. It sounded very urgent and I was wondering who would call me after midnight. The only one who did was..._her_. I didn't even look at the name on my screen, I just pressed the talk button.

"Esme," I answered immediately.

"Carlisle, it's Charlie...Charlie Swan. I'm driving her to the hospital. Get here quick, and please bring Lily. It's an emergency."

I wasn't that dumb. That bastard did something to the love of my life, something so severe that it would land her in the hospital. I had to respond to my best friend.

"I'm on my way. I'm not even changing into my scrubs. Is Renee with you?"

"Yes, we just came back from the bar. We passed the alley behind it and found Esme...Renee was screaming so loud and I was disgusted at all the...well, anyway, once we got there, we heard footsteps rushing out of the alley. It was-"

"Don't even say it, Charlie," I growled. "Don't even fucking say it!" I ran to Lily's house and knocked on her front door. When she didn't answer within five seconds, I pounded on the door and shouted her name. The door swung open when I was about to kick it.

"Jesus Christ! What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked sleepily and rubbed her eyes open.

"Esme's in danger, that's what's wrong! She was gang raped and Charlie's taking her to the ER right now! He needs us, we need to help her, I'm about to lose her! God damn it, Lily, I'm about to go insane!"

"I've already started the car in the middle of your rant! Get in here!" She honked the horn to get my attention.

I nearly jumped into the passenger seat and strapped myself in while she stepped hard on the gas. "Let's hope you don't get pulled over for speeding. Not all cops are like Chief Swan."

"I'm not letting her die; if a cop tries to stop me, I'm running him the fuck over!" she exclaimed.

Thankfully, we didn't get interrupted and we were able to get inside the hospital within five minutes. We ripped off our seat belts and quickly met Charlie by the front door.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"A nurse is helping Renee carry her into a hospital bed in the ICU. The poor thing can't even move on her own. She has a faint heartbeat, so she's still alive, but she's in very critical condition," he reported.

Lily and I followed him to where Esme was laying still under the covers. Renee was bent down next to the bed and holding Esme's hand. When she looked up at us, we noticed she was crying.

I swallowed hard. "Hook her up to the ventilator," I ordered Lily. "I'll help you clean her wounds. Charlie, Renee, stay back."

While my co-worker did her thing, I lifted Esme's covers off her body and Renee let out an audible gasp. Esme's eyes were closed and there were dried tear stains on her cheeks. Blood was spilling out of her split lips, there were millions of bite marks, semen, and handprints all over her exposed skin, vomit dribbled out of her mouth, and her butt was covered in brown goo, which was mixing with the red liquid coming out of her vagina. My voice was thick with emotion while I explained that she was raped, since there were signs of vaginal, anal, and oral penetration. I prepared to give them the medical report.

"I think he gave her laxatives since she wasn't feeling symptoms of diarrhea when I saw her this morning. She called me this evening and she passed gas while she was on the phone. She told me she was very sick, and since she doesn't eat too much junk, laxatives must have been snuck in something she ate or drank. As a result, she wasn't able to even try to fight off Charles or his friends. Let me write this down in my chart..." I got up so I could fill out a form.

"Esme Anne Platt, age twenty-five. Police officer's name is Charlie Swan, police department is Forks, badge number is 17...date of the examination is March second, two-thousand and twelve, time is midnight. Location of the attack..." I looked over to Charlie so he could give me the rest of the details.

"A few blocks down from the bar called Twilight Lounge. Same night, a few hours ago from this time...perpetrators were unknown, but it appeared to be three or four. Five including her uncle Charles. No weapons were found near the victim. No condom was used. They damaged her badly and it's obvious that she both urinated and defecated while they forced themselves on her. We will have to ask her more questions when she is able to respond. Let her be for now."

I looked down sadly at her bloodstained figure as Lily and Renee slipped on plastic gloves and flipped her onto her stomach. With paper towels, they wiped her free of debris and secured her hospital gown by tying the strings around her neck and midsection so the front of her was covered. They put her on her back, covered her up, and we stayed with her all night long.

I woke up with a kink in my neck to the smell of beautiful flowers. I then realized I had been sleeping in a chair and holding my girlfriend's still hand. It was warm, so that meant she was alive, but in a serious coma. "It's only day one," I reminded myself. "She'll come back to you, Carlisle. She'll come back." I stood up and bent over the young woman in the cot. I smoothed her hair back from her face and ran my fingers over her cheek. I couldn't kiss her lips since there was a tube feeding her an intravenous solution, so I kissed her temple instead, where there wasn't a bandage. "Baby, please, don't die," I whispered and tried to hold back my tears. "Don't die on me, sweetheart." I ran my hand up and down the part of her arm that didn't have a needle stuck in it. "You're only on life support now..."

"Carlisle," a small voice alerted me. I turned around to see Alice standing by the slightly open door with pink roses in her hand. "How is she?"

"How do you know she was here?" I took a shaky breath and wiped my eyes with my palms. I didn't want to cry in front of a little girl, or any children, in fact.

"Jasper's mom, Lily, told us, and the boys, Rosalie, my classmates, and I are all here. They're all waiting with Lily to give Esme a get well card and flowers. I'm first in line, and besides, I wanted to talk to you for a second."

"Of course, come on in." I beckoned her to Esme's cot. Alice nearly skipped to her favorite teacher and laid the roses on a side table. Why did she look so optimistic when I was somber?

"Do you do maternity testing?"

"That is very rare, I don't specialize in it. Why, what happened?"

"I am biologically Esme's daughter, but my twin didn't survive the stabbings Esme's stomach received. James and Victoria actually kidnapped me and told the doctors it was their baby and Esme's was the one who had SIDS, but really, James and Victoria had the dead baby. Charles was there too and switched the babies, convincing the doctors into believing the Brandons over the knocked out Esme." Alice spoke so fast that I could barely comprehend her words. Or maybe my mind blanked out of pure astonishment.

"Wait, you were switched at birth? And you're really Esme's daughter?"

"That's my theory as to why I don't feel like I'm related to the people I live with and why I feel such a strong bond with Esme. So I would love for you to test to see if we really are mother and daughter. Here's four buccal swabs, just swipe them inside her cheek for about ten seconds with the force you would use to brush your teeth." Alice handed me four cotton swabs I would use to clean my ears with, but they had a longer stem and one cotton tip.

"Don't you need your biological father?"

"Nope, did research on all this. It's Charles, and we don't want him here. So just go ahead and collect her cheek cells for her DNA. I'll do it for mine. Then, tomorrow, I'll steal money from my fake parents to pay you for this."

"Alice, don't steal, even if you're taking money from awful people. This test is free if I'm doing it."

"Wow, cool!"

I slipped one swab after another into Esme's mouth with ease and after we were finished, we laid them down on a table. "Now, this will take three to five business days to determine the results, but since you two are special to me, I will find out right now. I'll be back, you can invite your friends in if you want, but Lily needs to be there in case Esme stirs for even a second."

"See you soon!" Alice crossed her fingers and I did the hand movement back to her. No wonder she was grinning like a lunatic. I was hopeful, too.

"What's up, Carlisle?" Lily asked me as I entered the waiting room.

"Maternity test. Go into Esme's room and Alice will explain. Please bring the rest of the kids in with you. They want to decorate her room with flowers and cards filled with love for Esme."

"Aw, that's really cute," she cooed. "Why do you need to do a maternity test, though? You're Esme's doctor."

"Alice is convinced Esme is her mother because she had a nightmare of Charles kidnapping Alice and giving her to his friends when she was a baby. She told Emmett once that she has depressing memories of her past and happy dreams of her future."

"Oh, well good luck with that, then!"

"Thanks!"

I went to the lab and gave the buccal swabs to the nurses. "Please test these to see if there is indeed a match between mother and daughter. I need these back to me in an hour."

"Yes, Dr. Cullen," one of them said with a dazed smile on her face, the kind of smile Esme looked up at me with. Oh well, at least she would do what I wanted her to do.

When I returned, the room looked lively and the kids were all gathered around my sleeping beauty. Some of the girls were crying and Alice had her head on her supposed mother's stomach. The boys kept asking Lily if Esme was dead and she continued to reassure them that Esme would be okay soon. Renee joined us later to check up on Esme and then went to help her husband find the animals that destroyed Esme's body. When she came back, she sat right by her best friend's side, not moving a muscle.

I hurried back to the lab to see the maternity test results. I couldn't believe that Alice was actually correct. Esme's DNA was a perfect match of Alice's, and they were definitely related. When I told everyone in the room this information, Alice was squealing the loudest.

"Esme, did you hear that? You're my mommy!"

Of course, Esme didn't budge, but Alice hugged her tightly as best she could.

"Feel better soon, Mommy. We all want you back. We love you." A tear rolled down her cheek as she propped her chin in her hands and placed her elbows on Esme's chest.

She stayed in that position for twenty-four hours until I felt a hand squeeze mine faintly. I jumped and laughed in relief when I saw that it was Esme's.

"Honey, I love you. Squeeze my hand again if you can hear me."

I couldn't feel it that well, so I asked her to blink once if she could see me. She did. I put my hand on her beating heart and watched her chest heave up and down.

"Can you speak, Esme? Blink once for yes, twice for no."

She stared at me with those blank but gorgeous green eyes.

"I did maternity testing for you and Alice. She's really your daughter."

A squeak came out of her lips and I almost cheered in celebration, but everyone was sleeping around us. It was an improvement from her not moving her lips at all. At one time, she may have even smiled widely and mumbled my name, but I couldn't be sure. I hadn't given up hope just yet.

After a few days of waiting and praying she'd wake up, for real this time, we finally got our wishes. Her eyes slowly opened and she took a few even breaths.

"Hey, I remember you guys...Dr. Cullen and Nurse Hale...and Renee..."

"You can call us Carlisle and Lily. Good morning, beautiful," I greeted her.

"Why did you call me beautiful? You're my doctor and plus, I'm all banged up!"

My heart almost jolted out of my chest. I tried to put my hand on her cheek to see if she'd remember my touch, but she jerked away from me.

Lily looked at me and then back at Esme. "What's your name, sweetheart?" she asked her in a tone you speak to a young child with.

"Ezzie Evenson."

"What are you doing?" I whispered to my colleague and best girl friend.

"It's part of PTSD. The victim remembers something in her early life and thinks she's going through it or went through it now."

I took a deep, shuddering breath and closed my eyes. I didn't know if she'd answer to Esme or Ezzie, so I just asked, "And how old are you?"

"I'm ten. I feel too big for my age."

"How did you get here?" Lily wanted to know.

"Dog attack." Esme sunk under the covers with her thumb in her mouth.

Renee looked at us with her hands over her mouth. "I can't believe this!" Tears flowed down her face and I could tell Lily was having trouble keeping her emotions in. I, however, was straight-faced and swallowing my tears. I couldn't cry in front of a room full of women who were this upset. I had to be strong for them. The doctor can't show his pain.

Lily bent down next to the bed and took Esme's hand. "Ezzie, your uncle and his friends raped you. You're twenty-five, not ten, and you've been out for days."

"Can you please come out from under the sheets, darling?" My voice broke, and I knew I was about to lose it.

"I'm too scared," was the faint reply. "He's gonna bite me again."

"They bit you?" Lily wondered aloud as her voice wavered.

"You all saw the blood!" Esme pointed out.

Just then, Dr. Gerandy came in. "Cullen. Hale. You guys can go. I'll take over. And no visitors allowed," he said, gesturing towards Renee.

"NO!" Esme shrieked. "I want NayNay! Please don't take her away from me! No!"

"She thinks she's a little girl," Lily sobbed and hid her face on my shoulder. I cried into her hair.

"Sir, please, I need to be with her! She's emotionally unstable!" Renee protested and ran to Esme's side. "Don't worry, Ezzie, I'm not leaving you!"

"It goes away," Dr. Gerandy said in an annoyed voice.

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again. Looking straight into the doctor's hard eyes, I exclaimed, "You obviously have no sympathy! I'm the trauma patient expert, not you! And Lily is her nurse!"

Esme was still buried under the covers up to her chin.

"Look, just clean her wounds with bandages, she's awake now, she'll be just fine!" The old geezer I used to consider as my best doctor friend stalked past us and tried to get Esme out from under the covers and have her sit up.

When he touched her arm, she screamed, "Don't touch me! You're a stranger!"

"Oh my God! Look, lady, we have other patients, let me take out your IVs and then I need to treat your wounds! I can't do it with you hollering in my ear! Stop it! Get your thumb out of your mouth! Come on! Grow up!"

"Just leave her alone!" Lily shouted through her tears.

"I'm not listening to some nurse! You and Cullen work for me!"

"You be quiet or there won't even be a you!" I threatened him harshly. "Get out and let us do our job!"

"You heard him, leave!" Renee ordered.

"This is ridiculous!" Gerandy snapped. He held her down and yanked her sheet off. When Renee tried to stop him, he ripped her hands off of the bed. "All you need is a pelvic exam to see where it hurts! Open your legs for me! Be a good girl! I gotta get in there!" Esme shook her head rapidly. I tried to rush to her side, but he forced me to stand in the corner of the room. He wouldn't let anyone near her. The asshole pushed her legs open and shoved his fingers inside her hospital gown, but my girl kicked him in the face. He fell backwards and quickly got himself upright. "Fine, take care of yourself, you crazy bitch!" The door slammed as he made his hasty exit.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" I yelled and we went back to Esme's side.

"I would prefer it if Lily did my pelvic exam and Renee held my hand. I don't mean to be rude, but Carlisle, please leave."

"I'll give you your privacy, Ezzie. I'm gonna get you girls some lunch. See you in a few."

"Okay, bye." Esme waved at me with a sleepy smile. I blew her a kiss and left the room. She almost died, but we got lucky.

I ran into Gerandy as I was getting our burritos. He gave me the head nod that should only be reserved for teenage boys and licked his lips. "I liked Esme feisty."

"You'd look better with a black eye!" I retorted right back at him and simply walked away. "Creeper," I muttered.

It only took me ten minutes to return to Esme's room. I gave everyone their lunch and left mine for later when my nurse took me aside.

"Poor baby, she peed her pants when Gerandy touched her...and she has little cuts, like toothmarks, right on her clitoris, and bruises all over the vaginal wall," Lily reported to me as I wrote it in my chart.

"Oh, fuck...where is she now?" I noticed that she was out of her bed. "I want to hold her close to me so badly right now."

"She's in a wheelchair since she has trouble walking. Here she comes now," Lily answered while Renee wheeled her in.

I bent down to touch her knee so I could kiss her after all this time of being away from her, but to my painful surprise, she kicked me in the balls. It hurt like hell, and I yelled as I collapsed to the ground in pain. Esme started cackling just like a witch and wheeled herself right out of the room, with Alice and Lily chasing after her.

"I'm sorry, she hasn't taken her medication yet, she's kind of psycho right now," Renee apologized. "But the good news is that I'm getting her into a support group for at least a month. Hopefully, Esme will be okay by March thirty-first. Oh, random phone call is random." She picked her phone out of her jeans pocket. "Hello? You're kidding!"

I glanced up at Renee's stunned expression on her face. "What?"

"It's Esme's mom. She's..._alive_."

****Please R&R White Picket Fence by K.K. Fush&****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter&Love in the Strangest Places by MrsCarlisleCullen13!****

**Thank you to my loyal readers&reviewers:TeamCullenx,livi harkness,that kiwi chick,MrsCarlisleCullen13,Just4Me,K.K. Fush,TheMortician'sDaughter,TeamCarlisleandEsme8,&CarlisleandEsme!**


	20. Bittersweet

**I turn 21 today! Yay! Happy birthday to me!**

**Thanks to my beta, K.K. Fush&my prereader TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Esme POV

_Ripping. Biting. Clawing. Tearing me open like a Christmas present. They were laughing. Was it someone's birthday? Surely it must have been. Why else would they be smiling? Fabric was protecting me. The fabric couldn't survive. Their hands were shoving it away...roughly pushing my body into the brick walls...grabbing my hair out of my scalp...ignoring my screams for help. Nobody could hear me. Nobody listened. I tried to yell, but it came out as a whisper. I tried to breathe, but it turned into a gasp. I tried to fight them back, but it felt like I was a thousand pounds. I couldn't move my limbs freely. I was thrashing around, trying to hold onto my life. Trying to survive. Choking. I felt something disgusting filling my mouth. Eyes watering. Struggling to see them. Who was who? I couldn't tell any longer. I couldn't make any more sounds. All was quiet._

_But I could still hear them. It was if I was blind and mute. Hanging onto life. All senses gone but hearing. No more sight. No more speech. I wish I could beg them to kill me. I wanted them to just let me die. The pain was too much to bear. My head slammed into the concrete stone so many times that it pounded. I was so weak...so bloody...so violated. Legs wide open, arms pinned...they went inside me over and over...I became used to it. It continued until I was motionless. Not trying to jerk around. Not trying to make a face of pain. Not crying. Their grunts and moans faded along with their laughter. It was over. It was finally my time to leave this Earth._

_Gone...my tense body relaxed as my own blood and bodily waste and their semen dripped off of me. My brain shut down and I disappeared._

Mom, I'm coming home. See you soon. I love you, _was my last thought as the blackness took over me._

It was like that vicious dog attack. Was I ten or twenty-five? I wasn't sure. All that I knew was that I was scared, alone, and in an unfamiliar place. I had fallen asleep in my wheelchair, but I wished that I hadn't. I wanted someone to kill me, but nobody was here. I hurt everywhere and tears slid down my cheeks as I hummed the song I used to sing when I was smaller.

"My voice is shaking, my bones are breaking as I tell him to leave me alone. I'm just faking, just making believe that I have a home..."

I opened the drawers of someone's dresser that was near me, but I couldn't find anything to kill myself with. I wanted to push a knife into my heart, but maybe I could wheel myself down the stairs! Excitement pulsated through me as I wheeled myself to the door and opened it to find...nothing. Whoever put me on the first floor of this house must not have wanted me to fall down their flight of stairs. I hated that person. In fact, I hated all men. I closed my eyes until I felt someone gently tapping me awake. Thankfully, it was only Lily, someone who I didn't dearly want to murder.

"Esme, I have a few questions for you. Would you be willing to answer them?"

"A hello would be nice," I muttered. "I'm injured, so don't ask if I'm okay!"

"I'm sorry, hon. I just need to do your medical evaluation. You don't have any STD's, we tested you for them already."

"Who cares? I want to die anyway." I gulped and tried to keep the tears in, but a few snuck out of my eyes. I stared down at my lap because I was too ashamed to look at my nurse. "I'm starting to remember now...you guys are right. I was just raped. I don't want to believe that, but I have to face the truth. I really hate myself because I'm damaged. I always have been."

"I can understand how you feel, Esme. But you would be missed terribly." I felt her move some of my hair away from my face.

"Who would miss me?" I asked sourly. "My mom and my baby are in heaven. I want to join them."

"I think telling me everything that happened would make you feel a little better. It's just between you and I. I promise that I won't tell anyone else. You don't even have to look at me."

"Okay, if you say so." I kept my eyes on my lap and sniffled.

"First of all, how many assailants were there?"

I counted on my fingers. "Four," I said thickly. "Five, if you count Charles. He was recording the whole thing on a video camera."

"Do you know their names?"

I shook my head.

"Do you remember what they looked like?"

"They were his friends and they were probably in their early fifties, around his age. Two of them were lanky and the other two were sort of skinny but with beer bellies. They had curly brown hair, almost blonde, mustaches, and pale brown eyes."

"Type of sexual contact? For example, vaginal, oral, rectal..."

"All three."

"Was there use of a condom?"

"Of course not. What monster would use a condom?"

"I know you were bleeding badly when they brought you in, but did your attackers bleed at all?"

"Yeah, when I tried scratching at them to get them off me."

"And they ejaculated all over you, correct?"

"Mm-hm."

"Have you douched or bathed yet?"

"Nope."

"Used a tampon?"

"Ouch!"

"Urinated or defecated?"

"I can't, since I'm in a wheelchair."

"I know you haven't changed your clothes and you just had lunch. I brushed your teeth when I brought you here and I let you sleep. Last menstrual period?"

"It was probably the night I was sexually assaulted. That's what got them really aroused, besides the fact that I had diarrhea."

"Date of previous coitus, or sexual intercourse, and time?"

"Those filthy animals rammed it into me that whole night. I was stolen from my sleep at eleven and it lasted for a whole hour."

"Are you on birth control?"

I shook my head slowly.

"Last question. Can you tell me everything that happened that night?"

The memory made me start full-out sobbing. It hurt my chest to breathe, and my whole body was sore. "Charles left me alone until late at night. I thought I was off the hook, but when he pulled me out of bed and struck me across the face, I knew I was in for it. I didn't expect him to videotape his friends having their way with me, though. They raped me in an alley, shoved their dicks into me, slapped me, kicked me, punched me, choked me, all while I was feeling horrible from that damn laxative he put into my water and I was also on my period, which made the rape even worse. My nightgown was torn to shreds and I know that you found traces of piss, shit, and blood on my underpants. After an agonizing hour, they left me for dead because once I couldn't fight back anymore, I was like a useless, bled out corpse. You know what I mean?"

"Yes, Ezzie, I do," Lily answered sadly. "Do you want me to help you out of your wheelchair so we can relax on the couch with our girls?"

"Oh, sure. Thank you."

She linked arms with me and led me to the couch. "This is my house, if you didn't know already."

"It's a cool place."

"Thanks."

As soon as I sat down, Alice scrambled up onto the couch and placed herself on my lap. She was touching a very sensitive area, so I moved her to sit next to me and put my arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry, sweetie, it hurts if you sit on me, so you can just be close by my side, all right?"

She nodded. "Esme, I can summon people up from the dead!"

"What about my baby?"

"No can do, sorry!" She shook her head and looked at me with those mischievous green eyes of hers.

"Why?"

"Cuz I am your baby!" She bounced up and down on the couch and the movement made me dizzy.

"Ali, can you be still? I have a headache."

"Sorry, Mommy."

I looked at her quizzically. "What did you just call me?"

"Alice told Carlisle to do a maternity test to see if you and her were truly mother and daughter, and the test turned out to be positive. That happened while you were in the coma," Lily explained.

My eyes widened and my heart started pounding too quickly for my liking. "But...but, I'm not ready to be a mom! She's my sissy!" I freaked out. "Oh my God, I'm only a preteen!"

"You don't want to be my mom?" Alice asked softly and pouted. "Great, nobody wants to take care of me. I guess I'm a real piece of crap."

"Come on, it's nothing against you. It's me, okay? I can't even take care of myself let alone watch out for you. It's stupid post traumatic stress disorder! Do you want to be with a weird ass mom? I don't even want to teach anymore. I loved it, but now, I'm a nutcase. I'm sorry, but I can be your sister, at least until I get better." I stroked her hair and managed to grin at her to make her feel better.

"Okay, I'll be your little sister." She smiled up at me and it warmed my heart. I felt like getting two shirts, one that said 'big sister' and another one that said 'little sister'.

"I'm glad you didn't die, sweetheart."

"Me, too. I'm a survivor, and so are you!"

There was a knock on the door and Lily got up to open it. "Who is it?" she called out.

There was no answer that I heard, but she opened the door and Renee came in with a woman who nearly gave me a heart attack. She looked very familiar and reminded me of my mom.

"That's my grandma!" Alice shouted happily. "Come on, Esme! Come meet her!" She pulled me up to my feet and amazingly, I could stand for a few minutes. It was uncomfortable, though. I felt powerless. The thought that the woman in old sweats and frizzy grayish brown hair was my mom really freaked me out. I thought she was dead! Maybe I was seeing things. I was traumatized, so that would be a better explanation of why she was standing in the doorway with my best friend and staring at us.

"Mom!" I cried and ran up to her. I almost knocked her over with the force of my hug.

"Whoa. Who are you?" She had a bewildered expression on her face.

"Mom...it's me, Esme. Your Ezzie pie."

"What? My little girl, she was five years old, about knee-high. Where is she?"

"Annie, we're not in ninety-one anymore. It's been twenty years since your attack. Remember me? I'm Renee." My best friend approached us and gently touched my mom's shoulder. The woman's eyes' widened and she took Renee's face in her hands.

"Your eyes are the same. Your hair is the same. You haven't changed. You're telling me I missed two decades with you girls? And my baby is all grown up?" Mom's eyes filled with tears.

"Yeah, that's right," Renee murmured as Mom wrapped us both in a group hug.

"Mom, I don't feel twenty-five," I sobbed into her embrace. "I don't wanna be a grownup!"

"You've grown into a beautiful young woman. You'll always be my Ezzie pie, no matter what happened. Shh, it's okay...Mama's here..."

I felt her stroking my hair and I held her around her waist even tighter. Yes, this woman was definitely my mom. I remembered how she used to comfort me when I was a little girl. But how was she alive and well?

"Mom, how are you here? I thought he-he killed you!" I cried.

"Charles had the satisfaction of killing me and then rushing me to the hospital. Renee arranged the funeral and nobody knew I was in a coma in Seattle Hospital. They thought my family was long gone and had no idea how to reach you or Renee. Charles took you to Ohio and Renee went to college. The doctors must have called the house phone and nobody was home."

"But we had a funeral!" Renee protested. "It's impossible...we had a corpse, didn't we? I remember, he beat you and then hung you in his room somewhere. You were still, white, and cold, but he dressed you up..." Her voice trailed off as Mom's smile grew bigger and bigger.

"He had a life sized doll of me that he put a wig and makeup on. It was how he got off. I saw him one time with it. He was dancing around with it." Mom snickered and rubbed soothing circles on my back.

"So that's why we were never allowed in his room!" I realized out loud. "Eeewww, oh my god, that's so gross! Fucking creepy mannequin! We buried that thing and cried over it, remember, Renee?"

My best friend nodded. "Yeah, we thought we really lost you, Anne. He told us and had us thinking that he took you to the hospital and burned your body. Esme insisted that she wanted a gravestone, so enter the fake corpse!"

"I want to scare the fuck out of him so he does really think I'm dead," Mom muttered. "Where is that bastard? And what on earth happened to you, darling?" We sat on the couch together and I snuggled into her side. "Tell me everything, from when you were five to now."

Renee took Alice into another room since she could tell I didn't want the little girl to know exactly what I went through.

"Charles took me away from everything. He made me do things for him like a slave girl and until I was ten, he locked me in a metal cage during the night. I'm afraid of the dark now. He was going to force me to give him a blowjob when I was nine, but Renee came home from college at that moment, so it never happened. Charles started making me sleep with him, shower with him, kiss him, touch him, and be his porn star when I was eleven or twelve. When I was ten, he let his dog almost murder me, which left me hospitalized. I was eighteen when he raped me for the first time and I thought my baby died of SIDS, but it turned out Alice is my daughter and she was given to this other family, the Brandons, and I'm not ready for her to be my daughter, so I let her be my sister. I was really messed up. I almost committed suicide, I cut myself all the time, I felt lost and alone, and my only friend in the whole wide world was Renee. Kids at school teased me for being so depressed, but I verbally abused them all and was physically violent towards them. I got expelled, but I didn't care. In high school, I just kept to myself. College was a relief because then I became a teacher. At least I got some freedom. But a few days ago, I was gang raped by Charles' friends while he recorded the whole thing! I have no idea where any of them are. Probably in hiding, but I don't care. I just...I was in a coma for a while. I want to be with you and the other girls, Mom. I've been so lonely without my mom," I sobbed into her shoulder. "I feel very dirty and disgusting now...can you give me a bubble bath?" I hugged my knees close to my chest. "Please, Mom..." I whimpered.

My mom kissed my forehead. "Sure I can, sweetheart."

She helped me into my wheelchair and Lily directed us to the downstairs bathroom. Slowly, I got into the tub and Mom ran the water. I also needed assistance getting undressed. She pulled my shirt over my head, unclipped my bra, took off my sweats and underpants, and revealed a big mess.

"Oh god," I gasped. "I can't even look in the mirror."

"And you don't have to," she reassured me. "Climb in the tub, the water's nice and warm."

"Aah, that's nice..." I said as I stepped into the pool of bathwater. "I need to get cleaned up."

I was able to wash my hair and scrub myself where it didn't hurt. I made the water hotter and it relaxed every aching muscle in my body. Suddenly, there was a bug crawling on my skin, and I brushed it off. Soon, there was a swarm of insects all over me, and that's when I started screaming for my mom to kill them.

"Get them off, please!"

"Nothing's on you, I swear. Are you done with your bath?" she asked as she came back into the bathroom.

I nodded. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"I've missed it." The water turned off and I stepped out of the tub. Mom dried me off and I put my clothes back on. We hugged for a moment and later, Lily drove us to my old house.

Alice wanted to come with us since she didn't want to be near her kidnappers after seeing Bella in between them. She said they were being creepy. I couldn't help but laugh. The sight was just too funny, since Bella got exactly what she deserved.

"Also," Alice added, "James ripped up my library book, so I blew up the television set he was trying to force me to watch!" She started giggling.

"Great revenge!" I gave her a high five.

Once we got to my real home, my mom redecorated the place. She replaced Charles' picture with hers that was in the basement, threw out the too-small cage, and disinfected her bed that Charles had slept in all that time she was gone. I couldn't fit in my childhood bed, so I let Alice sleep there and I was in the guest room, where Renee used to sleep when she lived with us. My mom kissed Alice and I good night in my childhood room and when she left, I hugged Alice and told her to have sweet dreams.

"Night, Esme! You too!" She waved at me as I left the room.

Her wish was useless, since I knew I would have horrible flashbacks for at least a month. My steps were shaky as I got out of my wheelchair for the last time that night. I lifted up the covers and burrowed myself inside the blankets. I rolled over to my right side, which didn't hurt as bad as my left, and sank my head deep into the soft pillow. Within minutes, I was crying quietly as the scary scene replayed itself over and over in my head. During the night, I woke up screaming and my mom rushed into my room. She got in bed with me and I held onto her.

"There, there, baby. It's all right. You remember the gibberish we used to sing when you were two to when you were five? Hm?" She touched my bruised cheek.

I shrugged and cried harder.

"Goob-a-doo-ba-doo-ba-gee-beek, baka-booka bee-all-ay..."

I tried not to smile, but a giggle came out. Now I could relive my favorite memories with her when I was very little. I took a shuddering breath and continued. "Baba-gooba-gooba-ga-ba, lala-baka-boo-kooboo!"

We both burst out laughing at our silly song. I was fast asleep in seconds.

The next morning, Mom looked through the pantry and found some unused pancake mix, chocolate chips in a bag, and a few bananas. There was also whipped cream in the fridge and I sleepily watched her make us breakfast. Alice skipped to my mom's side.

"Grandma, how can you make pancakes if you just got out of a coma?" Alice asked.

"You can just call me Anne, honey girl. And it's quite easy. I can follow simple directions. Bigger meals will take more practice."

"Oh, cool. But you're my grandma since Esme is my real mommy. Her doctor, Carlisle, had a maternity test done for us. My name is Alice, if you didn't know already."

"It's nice to meet you, Alice. My mom bent down to shake her hand. Then she turned to me. "You're on a first name basis with your doctor?"

I ran my hands over my face. "Ugh, I need glasses again. I can't see well. They broke a few nights ago."

"You're changing the subject. I'll get you some glasses today."

"Thanks, they were black with pink rims. And Carlisle is just some guy...I don't really care about him anymore."

There was a knocking at the door and I jumped. Alice ran to get it since my mom was busy and I was temporarily handicapped.

"Who is it?" Alice opened the door and our visitor strode in. I clenched my jaw and glared.

What the hell was he doing here? Seeing him again ripped my heart in two. It hurt even more when he bent down to my level and took my hand in his.

"I love you," Carlisle said in a gentle voice.

I yanked my hand away. "No you don't," I snapped.

"Please don't go," he begged pathetically as I backed further and further away from him. "Don't you remember me?"

I tried to make my voice as threatening as possible as I stared coldly into his eyes.

"Oh, I remember you, all right. Yeah, I remember that I told you that I was like a thirteen year old, but now those bastards turned me into a ten year old. So you dated me even though you were twenty-four years old. You kissed me, touched me, and called me affectionate names even though I was thirteen years old. You're a dirty old pedophile and I hate you. I'm glad I got you in the balls when I did. You violate me one more time, and I will kill you in your sleep, chop off your little stick, and shove it down your ugly throat. Do you understand me?"

He nodded and I smiled cruelly at him. He wasn't the gentleman I thought he was. He was an asshole, through and through. All men were.

Just then, a montage of our relationship appeared in my head-when we first met, slammed into each other, hung out at Renee's house, shared our pasts with each other, kissed for the first time, snuck around behind Charles' back, going to the baseball game in the park...

That was his idea.

A feeling of anger spread throughout my veins. I grabbed whatever was near me and hurled it at him. He ducked, but the couch pillow hit his stomach. I couldn't help but laugh hysterically.

"You're the reason we got busted!" I yelled at him.

"Hold it, Esme, you're going bat shit crazy!"

I threw another pillow in his direction. "Watch your language in front of my little sister and my mother! You never loved me! You never got rid of him because you're a baby!" I gasped sharply at the pain he was causing me. "Get out of our house. I mean it!"

I closed my eyes and held back my tears as the door slammed shut with a deafening bang.

"I'm sorry!" I wailed. "I'm so sorry you had to see that, guys."

"It's okay, baby. We'll talk about this later," my mom said and tousled my hair. Alice hugged my legs and I absentmindedly played with her hair. That's when I knew I was forgiven for his rude actions earlier.

There was another knock at the door and this time, Mom got it. It was Renee and she was holding a photo album in her hands. She gave us all a hug and put the album in my lap. I looked at it blankly until she opened it.

"That girl is a ghost of who I used to be," I whispered through my tears while flipping through the pictures of me smiling brightly before I was gang raped.

"Oh, Ezzie..." Renee sighed. "Are you ready for group therapy next week?"

"Nope, but you'll probably all drag me over there when the time comes. This all happened since Carlisle was a wuss and couldn't kill him because he was afraid of him! I was that scaredy-cat's girlfriend," I hissed. "I thought he was handsome and nice, but then I saw his true colors. I realized that he never touched Charles, not even once. I don't count that one time at the bar when Charles and his friends were all drunk, since that made them weak and unable to fight back against Carlisle. Also, he couldn't get him arrested! What kind of a man is that? He's a loser!"

Alice put her hand on my arm. "You should talk it out with him and tell him everything you're feeling. He really does love you. He hates Charles. We all do; we've never tried to kill him."

I shook my head. "No, sis, you don't understand! You're all females and smaller than him, so it's physically impossible for you to end him. You tried, Mom, and you ended up in a coma for twenty years. Alice, you got thrown into that awful Chokey room. And Renee, you attempted to beat him to death, but he survived those blows to his head. I think Carlisle could do better than all of us combined, but he's not brave. He can't even get the pedophile arrested! Charles is only four inches taller than him. If Carlisle jumped on his back or something and choked him, he could take Charles down easily! I can't believe I was ever in love with that dumbass!"

"It's better to just stay single your entire life. That way, nobody will ever break your heart." Mom put her arm around my shoulder and held me close.

"Why didn't you warn me, Renee? You could've told Charlie, for Christ's sake! I mean, wow, some kind of best friend you are!"

Renee hung her head. "I'm sorry. I thought Carlisle was good for you. You sort of left me when you started going out with him and I'm now engaged to Charlie. We never talked about Charles because I didn't want to bring such a negative subject like that up. I didn't want my fiancé to get hurt. I was selfish and stupid. I apologize. I thought you two liked being Rose and Jack at my house. I wanted Charles to be unaware of _something_." When she said that, I scoffed. What kind of bullshit was that? She was a bitch!

"That's a really lousy excuse if you ask me. Why would we want to sneak around and risk me getting raped to death? Charles didn't even touch my _ex_! Don't answer that, just sit there and feel guilty until I decide to forgive you."

I felt so betrayed by my supposed best friend and my ex lover that I lost my appetite when my mom gave us all our breakfasts. The four of us ate in silence. I was too mad at Renee to even look at her. Alice was too young to get it, but if she was older, she would agree with me completely. Mom did. At least my family was on my side.

****Please R&R White Picket Fence by K.K. Fush&****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter&Love in the Strangest Places by MrsCarlisleCullen13!****

**Many thanks to reviewers TeamCullenx,MrsCarlisleCullen13, K.K. Fush, that kiwi chick, TheMortician'sDaughter,CarlisleandEsme,Just4Me&TeamCarlisleandEsme8!**


	21. Dark Angel

**Thank you to my beta&prereader, K.K. Fush and TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Carlisle POV

We didn't talk to each other for weeks. Esme didn't know what she was saying. She wasn't aware of what she was doing. She was completely out of her mind. She must have been hurting herself while breaking my heart into billions of pieces. She couldn't have fallen out of love with me that quickly. Last month, she couldn't wait to kiss me. Now, she didn't even want to look at me, let alone speak to me. She was thirteen emotionally, but physically, she was twenty-five. I thought she was relying on her physical age, but no. It had always been her emotional age. I was twenty-four and dating a girl who had just became a teenager. She was much too young for me. I needed to see her again and talk this out with her.

But when Esme got mad, she could get really violent. I flopped down on my bed and shut my eyes. I imagined her with pale white skin, caramel curls down her back, deep red eyes, and gleaming, pointy teeth. Her face was glowing and everything about her was beautiful. She wrapped her arms around me and stood on her tiptoes so her lips could reach my neck. All of a sudden, she opened her mouth and sank her vampire teeth into my flesh. My dick got hard as she drained me dry. I fell on the floor and cried out as my boner hit the ground. She stood over me and wiped her mouth clean of my blood.

"Oh, Jesus!" I groaned, shaking the fantasy out of my head. "She won't bite you. She's not like that..."

"Talking to yourself again, Dad?" Emmett asked.

I was startled. "You scared the living daylights out of me, kid."

"Sorry. I'm not a kid. Anyway, it's time to go to Esme's group therapy meeting."

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. "She invited us?"

He shrugged. "I guess so."

I walked into the room where the group meeting was being held. Renee was in there and Lily was watching the children in the waiting room. Esme was seated at a circular table with six other young women.

"So, you're new here?" one of them asked her. The woman had black hair with purple streaks. She was dressed head to toe in black and red. I wondered why she asked if Esme was new here. Hadn't she been going for almost a month? Maybe the woman had short-term memory loss.

"M-hm. I'm newly broken. Not only did I get gang raped, but I also had been living with my uncle for the past twenty years. He's a sick pedophile and has had the hots for me since I was ten. Therefore, I still feel that age today. What happened to you people? Tell that dude over there." Esme jerked her thumb back towards me. "We can replay our whole first meeting to him."

"We're all healed, and we're gonna help you, girl." The woman next to Esme gave her a hug. "My name is Brooke. Hey, who's that guy over there? He's kinda sexy." She pointed at me and I pretended not to notice.

"You obviously get distracted easily," Esme muttered and pushed her to the side. "When do we start this shit?"

"Well, we're just introducing ourselves now. I'm Michelle." A woman with brown hair waved at the group. She gestured to the others and they said their names almost at the same time.

"Caroline."

"Kasey."

"Jill."

"Georgia."

"Nice meeting you all," Esme murmured and shook their hands. "I'm gonna tell my story now. When my uncle Charles stole me from my bed, he gave me a black eye. It's starting to form, see? He started out by saying, 'get outta that goddamn bed right now, you bitch! Right now!' And he also whipped me and started taking off his belt. I cried, and that's how he got sexually aroused. He has a disease called dacryphiliac. He loves to watch me cry. I've been crying almost my whole life. Anyway, he got all his friends together and they took me out by an alley near Twilight Lounge. For an hour, they forced themselves on me. I'm so fucking mad! This has made me an insane bitch, and I want to change. I've kept all of my emotions inside and I haven't even known them until I saw the whole thing in my nightmares multiple times."

"Esme, I'm so sorry-" I tried to apologize.

She spat at the ground. "Cut the crap, Carlisle! Excuse my language, ladies, but that man over there is a piece of shit! Carlisle, you're a fucked up idiot and I feel like smashing your head into a wall. If you really loved me, you would have been my knight in shining armor all the way. You would have attacked Charles like no other man could or at least taken me far away somewhere and brought everyone else we loved with us. I was in enough pain from my attack, but what you did to me was like a dagger piercing through my heart. It made me cold and I wanted to puke." Esme started shouting at me until her words blended together and I couldn't hear her clearly. "Carlisle, get me a goddamn strawberry margarita!"

"Only if you ask nicely."

"Fine. Carlisle, can you please get me a strawberry margarita?"

"Of course. I'll have to go someplace downtown."

"Go to a restaurant."

"Magic words?"

"Fuck you." She snickered and waved me out of the room. When I came back with the margarita, she asked for a bag of chocolate chip cookies and a tub of Oreo ice cream.

"I'm eating my feelings," she mumbled as the women gave her strange looks. "And drinking them right down."

"Carlisle, can you wheel me to the bathroom? I'd wheel myself, but I'm too tired."

"You can't just walk out of a meeting!" I protested.

"I can do whatever the hell I want! Hurry up, I need to use the shitter!"

I sighed. "Whatever. Why are you treating me like a dog?"

"You're a man. Men treated me like a dog. I'm seeking revenge."

"I'm not like them!"

"Yes, but you're almost like them!"

I was getting so sick of her constant needs. She was supposed to be getting help! "Esme, I'm not your slave! Please stop demanding I do things for you!"

She held out her arms, palms up, and thousands of red lines that were fading into scars dotted her wrists. Even though I was annoyed with her at the moment, my heart dropped to my stomach. "This is what you did to me."

"I did not slash your wrists with a knife!" I started taking her to the women's bathroom. When we got to the end of the long hallway, she yelled at me to stop in my tracks.

"Let me make myself clear. _You_ were a wimp around Charles and _you_ got us busted. That's right, you _should_ be hanging your head, you fucking asshole!"

"Shut up, you dumbass! You're so demanding and hard to deal with! God! You have no right to call me out on my flaws when I don't even know where to begin with _yours_!"

"I never needed a bathroom break. I just wanted to give you a lecture. Come down here so we can be face to face."

I did what she said, but as soon as my eyes met hers, she raised her hand and smacked me across the face.

"What the-" I started angrily. "What was that for?"

"First of all, don't ever call me a dumbass again. Second of all, wow, you call yourself a PTSD expert? I mean, I have problems! I'm _broken_!"

"I know that, and I was trying to help you heal all along! Why are you acting this way?"

"Because you're a big jerk! I've been thinking about our whole _nonexistent_ relationship. I remember that _you_ asked me out and _you _tempted me. _You _fell in love with m_e. __You _sat back and watched it happen from the very start! My mom and Renee said that you were human and you were bound to make mistakes and you were nice all along, but for Christ sakes, Carlisle whatever your middle name is Cullen, the mistake you made was too grave to continue this...this fling. I have been hurting inside for almost a month. Do you even know what I'm talking about?" She must have jabbed her finger at my chest a thousand times.

I scoffed at her rant. "No. I worshipped the ground you walked on. You're overreacting!" I threw up my arms in frustration.

"Well, fuck you then!"

"What are you even talking about, Esme?"

"I'm just gonna say this normally. If you cared about a person and they were being abused, you wouldn't sit back and watch."

Reality quickly set in and a wave of guilt washed over me. "I admit that I didn't want Charles to bomb the school or kill you." I glanced down at the ground sheepishly.

Esme rolled her eyes. "Even so, if someone can't go to their local police, they'd venture to somewhere else, seek a lawyer or judge's advice. A fear of bombing or more abuse is a pretty weak excuse. If you didn't get cops involved, you'd want to fight him yourself."

"Fight him my...I did! At the bar! Didn't you see me?"

"You fought him when he was drunk! He couldn't fight back very well! It was way too easy! You're not a real man because you're afraid of pain!" At the last word she bellowed, she burst into tears. "I want you to fight him when he's sober," she whispered as saltwater ran down her cheeks.

"I don't want to be violent. You're not as strong as Charles and I wouldn't be able to handle Charles. He will fucking kill me. Do you want me dead? Do you want to die?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. I would love for us both to be buried six feet under." She folded her arms stubbornly.

"Don't be stupid, Esme. I'll figure something out. I just need to prepare myself. I want to prove my love to you."

"I'll need to see it to believe it. Take me back to my girls. Now." She snapped her fingers twice, wiped away her tears, and that was my cue to return her to the meeting.

A few minutes later, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to face a woman about Esme's height, but skinny and blonde. Fuck my life, it was Betty. How the hell did she find me here?

"Can I help you?" I asked, confused.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but notice...were you having an argument with your lover?"

"My lover? She's...not mine."

"Why was she being so rude to you?" Betty put her hand on my arm and gave it a light squeeze. "You don't deserve any of her shit. I would never ask you to do things for me. I would have sex with you like a real woman should. And I would say that I loved you."

"It's none of your business! Get off me!" I hissed.

"Oh, come on. She's not even worth it. I've fallen in love with you at first sight. Isn't that romantic?"

"I don't even know you," I groaned. "Would you please leave? I'm not in a good mood right now."

"I can make you happier. Let me tell you a secret." She grabbed my package with my other hand and gripped it firmly. "I make you hard."

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I believe that qualifies as sexual harassment!" a loud voice rang out. Suddenly, Betty was screaming and toppling over Esme's wheelchair as it sped down the hallway and half dragged Betty with it. Esme was still sitting on the floor and looking over her shoulder at me with an evil grin on her face. "Hey, idiot who can't stop staring at me and letting other women grab your cock, get my wheelchair."

I sighed and sluggishly retrieved her wheelchair. "Here you go, you jealous bitch."

Esme opened her mouth wide. "I'm not jealous. I did to her what you should have done to Charles, you bastard. I saved you from having to go through her torture."

"I don't think her giving me a hand job classifies as torture."

"You were resisting her advances. I don't like whores."

The other women just gaped at Esme while she laughed out loud hysterically. Her laughter echoed throughout the room and it seemed like she couldn't stop herself. She was laughing so hard that she had tears in her eyes.

Renee looked puzzled as she joined me on the side of the room. "What's going on?"

"I think she's drunk."

"I burned that bitch!" Esme shouted through her bursts of giggles. "Oh my fucking god, I did it! Fuck yeah! Fuck yeah! Whoo-hoo! I threw her in the fire! She's dead! My wheelchair killed her!"

"I hate to break it to you, but someone is kneeling by her side and calling nine-one-one," Renee said after looking over at the fallen seductress.

"It won't work," Esme gasped out. "She's gone! Her soul has burned in Hell! The flames have turned her to ash."

"Wheelchairs don't murder people," I called out to her, but it was useless.

"Did you ever fall over a wheelchair?" Esme asked me.

"No, but I think you fell in the looney bin," I muttered.

Esme looked up at me with a glazed over expression in her eyes. "Lighten up, buddy. Oh, Jesus Christ, I want to go home! Come on, I'm seeing double," she whined. "Pleeeeeease! Bye, girls!"

She was humming a tune to herself as Renee took her back to I guessed, her mother's house, and I parted ways with them. We said goodbye to Esme's fellow group members and I drove Lily and her kids back to her place. It was just Emmett and me at my house now.

"How was it?" he asked.

"It was okay. Esme's pretty messed up right now. I understand her situation. I screwed up. I can't believe I didn't think of other ways to kill Charles."

"Well, Dad, you didn't want to stoop down to his level. But I get it, all women want a man to fight for them. Oh, let me tell you about the substitute teacher that was filling in for Esme."

"What about her?"

"Er, you'll meet her tomorrow when Esme goes back to school, Alice told me. Her name is Crystal Turner and Alice said that one kid asked if she was Timmy Turner's mom. The lady was like, 'oh god, no!' and started laughing. Then, she said that she liked that little character and was all, 'I could be' and winked at the kids. It was funny."

"I'd love to meet her. If Esme's not interested in dating me, I could ask her out."

"Eh, that would be cool. You wouldn't have to be in a forbidden relationship with her or anything. It might actually be better. If you get married, both your initials could be C.C."

"I don't even know this woman."

"Aha! You like Esme!" He pointed at me and shook his head. "I knew it."

"I hope I can prove it to her!"

"Make me proud to be your son!"

"Okay, little man." I pulled him close to me and ruffled his hair as if he was still a child who didn't want to grow up.

"Rosalie did cartwheels on the church altar. It was hilarious," he said to me randomly.

"I'm sure the priest didn't share your thoughts."

"He wasn't there. Lily, Will, and their kids went to pray inside the church for Esme and then Rosalie got bored and did gymnastics inside the church. We started cracking up, but Lily gave her a lecture. I know she has a disability, so I didn't care. Besides, kids will be kids."

"I agree, but you guys all have to learn to act appropriately in public. When Rosalie or the others don't act their age, we have to teach you on what's right."

"I know. It was cool, though. You'll look back on this and laugh."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you! That stupid Mr. Evenson is back!"

"Excuse me while I go to his house and pay him a little visit!"

"Go, Dad, go!" Emmett cheered.

Charles' house was empty, but I could see him inside. I sat there all day, waiting for him to come out, but he never did. The women returned, but nobody screamed. All of a sudden, I saw him lurking in the bushes. I jumped when he shouted, "There's ghosts in my house! And that nasty little girl is back to haunt me! What the hell? I gave her away! Those stupid cunts are supposed to be dead!"

"So, three generations you thought you could get rid of?" I heard myself question him.

"Who's there?" he asked nervously. I climbed up the fence so I could be above him.

"Well, look who's back from hiding! You killed her, you know! You're seeing things. You thought they would suffer in hell, but guess what? She's the only one who's dead. Her mom is alive and so is her daughter. That's right, Alice is Esme's daughter!"

"I'm really freaked out right now. You mean to tell me Esme is walking around in her house, but she's dead?"

"Yeah, that's basically it. So tell me, how did she die?"

"She wanted us inside her. She was a massive horny girl. She liked big dicks and she wanted to fuck us all hard and have our cum all over her. She liked giving herself to us because she was a complete whore. You know, she was a prostitute throughout her young life."

"That's not what Esme told me before she died!"

"What did she tell you?" he snickered.

"Your friends raped her while you videotaped it. You're so sick that I want to risk my life and beat the fuck out of you."

"You? You're puny compared to me. I'm six feet two. You can't get me! You've been warned, Cullen."

I jumped off the fence and pounced on him. He yelled angrily and threw me off his back. He tried to slam me down into the dirt, but I wasn't having any of it. I banged his head with both my hands that were balled into fists and that stopped him for a minute. He raised his fist and hurled it into the dirt as I turned my face away from the blow. I growled and kicked him in stomach and in the nuts as hard as I could. He fell over with a loud groan and that's when I knew I had the upper hand. He was soon eating dirt since I had him by the hair and pushed his face into the ground multiple times. While he coughed, I jumped on his back like it was a trampoline. It seemed like he was too weak to move anymore, but I kept punching him as I rolled him over. He spat out blood and I laughed. "This is fun."

"Okay, Carlisle, you're my friend again. Stop, you're gonna kill him! I don't want you in jail. That's enough." Esme pulled me off the asshole and helped me to my feet. "Are you okay? You look like you dodged him when he tried to hit you. You just have a few bruises. Do you need ice?"

"Yes, thank you." I rubbed my face in pain. "See, I told you I'm better than Charles."

"I swooned as I watched it from my bedroom window. It was great! You won! I'm proud of you!"

"You should be, I just about knocked his brains out."

"Didn't it feel good? Oh my God, you're my hero now!" Esme fanned herself.

"It felt very nice to take him down."

I followed her inside her house and she led me to the kitchen. She handed me some ice and I held it to my head.

"Better?"

"Much better. Once again, thank you, Esme. I'm glad we're friends again."

"Me too. See, was it so hard? All you needed to do was get some leverage. You know, take him by surprise."

"Nah, it wasn't that hard."

"Come on, you can meet my mom."

"I can?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes. She's in bed and Alice is sleeping, so be quiet. We're going to tiptoe upstairs."

"The stairs don't creak?"

"No, this house is nearly thirty years old, but it's still in pretty good shape."

I guided her up the stairs like a gentleman and she took me to a closed bedroom door. She knocked on it softly, but then I noticed there was a beam of light coming through the bottom of the door.

"I think she's awake."

Esme opened the door. "Yep, just as I thought. And she's reading, too. Hi, Mom."

The gray-haired woman looked up from her book and raised her glasses up on her nose. She had barely no wrinkles and her eyes looked gentle and kind, just like Esme's. She smiled at us and her daughter limped towards her.

"Mom, this is um, my friend Carlisle, and Carlisle, this is my mom, Anne."

"It's very nice to meet you, sir." She struggled to sit up straighter against her pillows and held out her hand towards mine.

"It's also a pleasure meeting you, ma'am." I shook her outstretched hand. "I assure you that I will be the best bodyguard possible for your daughter."

"Thank you. So I can trust you with her?" Anne raised her eyebrow at me.

"Oh, Mom. he's the best man a girl like me can have, for a friend, anyway!" Esme beamed and clasped her hands together.

"I will protect her from anything and everything. I'd give her an island in Rio and name it Isle Esme if I could!" I joked, knowing that I didn't have that much money or power.

Esme giggled softly and rolled her eyes. I think she even blushed a little. I missed those pink cheeks and that tiny laugh. She was so cute when she did that.

"Well then. If my Ezzie pie thinks you're a good man, then I trust her opinion. You certainly seem like a nice young man. My daughter needs a gentleman in her life."

"Thank you, Anne."

"She's right, you know," Esme agreed.

"What do you think, baby?" the older woman asked.

"Mom, he's just a friend and my bodyguard. Even though he's very sweet and handsome, I don't love him. It would take me forever to be ready for a romantic relationship after everything that's happened."

"I understand," Anne said.

Esme nodded and skipped out of her mother's room with me in tow. "In case you're wondering, my mom was knocked unconscious, but Charles didn't kill her! She's just been in a coma for two decades. He thought he murdered her, but he didn't because he's not strong enough!" She muffled her laughter with a pillow. "He's a loser! He can't even kill someone! He had a dummy in his room that he jacked off to and we thought that was my mom's corpse so we buried it!"

"I was going to ask you how she was alive, but I was in so much shock that she was alive that I forgot to ask."

Esme shrugged. "It's all right. It's just amazing that she survived his blows."

"So that gravestone...it's covering a plastic doll?"

"Yes. It's sorta funny if you think about it. But we were extremely sad at the time."

"I would understand. I'm glad your mom and your daughter are alive after all."

"Yep!" Esme cheered quietly and stretched her hands over her head. "My family is complete again, at last."

"How does she not have brain damage if she's been in the coma for twenty years? Does she have a voice box or a brain transplant?" I wondered aloud as we went downstairs to sit on Esme's couch.

"Yeah, she has both. At least that's what her doctor told Renee. Also, she hasn't aged much either. She looks very young, even though she's fifty. Her body was practically dead and she wasn't doing anything to it to age it. The gray hair came naturally, but she wants to dye it brown like it used to be. She acts like a thirty year old grandma, pretty much."

"Thank you for introducing me to her. That means a lot."

"You're welcome. And I'm going back to school tomorrow! Yay!" Esme clapped her hands in excitement. "You know, I'm still going through a very dark time. I'm sorry about our fight."

"Don't worry about it, Ezzie. I was wrong for not being a hero in a challenging fight. I'm glad you knocked some sense into me. It made us friends again. You have no idea how much I wish we were a couple. But I'm not going to pressure you into a relationship until you're ready."

She looked at me with sad eyes. "How would you know if I would ever want to swing back into the dating game again? I don't trust men. I'm fine being single. I'm okay with you protecting me, but I want to take our friendship very, very slowly. We rushed into it too fast."

"Yeah, I know. Hey, uh, Esme, I had a nightmare of you being a vampire and killing me. Is that what you want to do to me?"

"That's way too weird. I'm not that creepy," she laughed. "Are you afraid of me?"

"I've just never met any PTSD victim like you. Lily and I weren't in situations as bad as yours. I had no idea what to expect from you. I suspected you were angry with me, but I didn't know why. I'm relieved that you told me."

"I am too," she said in a hushed tone. "Do you want to hear my favorite song?" I nodded, so she got her iPod out of her pocket, pressed a button, and a soothing melody began to play. "This totally defines my life."

"That's a nice song. Who sings it?"

"It's called Two Beds and a Coffee Machine by Savage Garden."

_...Another bruise to try and hide_  
><em>Another alibi to write<em>

_Another ditch in the road_  
><em>You keep moving<em>  
><em>Another stop sign<em>  
><em>You keep moving on<em>  
><em>And the years go by so fast<em>

_Wonder how I ever made it through..._

**This semester is so busy that I can't do regular updates every Monday anymore, sadly. At least you get a surprise when I update! Sorry it's been so long. Hopefully you're all still here, waiting for me and my painfully slow updates. :D ****I'm halfway finished since this story will have twenty more chapters, including this one!**

**Thank you so, so much for making this story the highest reviewed story I've written so far! Love you all: **K.K. Fush, ****TeamCullenx, ****CarlisleandEsme,**** that kiwi chick, ****MrsCarlisleCullen13, ****Just4Me, ****TheMortician'sDaughter&TeamCarlisleandEsme8! And also my local friend, Msoxcookie!****

****Please R&R White Picket Fence by K.K. Fush&****The Vampire in the Mix by TheMortician'sDaughter&Love in the Strangest Places by MrsCarlisleCullen13!****


	22. Happy Times

**Thank you to my beta, K.K. Fush, and my prereader, TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Esme POV:

I was crazy. What the hell was I doing? I must have been dreaming, since Carlisle and I were supposed to be in a fight. Last night, I saw him fight Charles for me, which was amazing. I had to have been in some fantasy world where perfect men do exist.

I rolled over on my other side and stopped my alarm from blaring. After rubbing my eyes open and putting on my new glasses, I squinted and spotted a handwritten note. "Ezzie, you fell asleep on me while we were listening to music, and I had to get back to Emmett, so I carried you upstairs, put you to bed, and went home. Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite," I mumbled to myself. I tried to stop smiling, but I couldn't help it. I fell asleep on him. Oh my god, I can't believe I fell asleep on him...that was so embarrassing! Well, at least we were friends again. I needed a break from him so I could figure out my feelings. I basically just saw him as a crush, not really a boyfriend, since I wasn't ready for being touched or kissed affectionately. I wondered if I would see him at school today.

I stretched, yawned, and got ready for my first day back. Mom dropped me off and we kissed and hugged each other goodbye. She was now going to go shopping and job hunting. As for me, I could stop using my wheelchair, since I was now able to walk, but I did have to hold my arms out for balance and watch where I was going.

A roar of boisterous laughter erupted from behind me and I jumped at the noise. "Oh, God," I whispered, putting my hand on my heart in shock. It was _him_ again! "Don't look back, just keep going, don't look back, just keep going," I chanted under my breath.

Once I was at my classroom door, someone spoke. "You pathetic whore."

I turned to glare at the man who had his friends almost kill me. The monster could now barely catch up to me, since he had a neck brace, crutches, and huge casts on all of his limbs. I have no idea why he came to the school if he was so beat up. I tried not to giggle, but a tiny one spilled out of my lips. "I'm sorry, but you deserved this, you bastard!" I showed him the finger, but that didn't stop him. He could still talk dirty to me, and just that fact made me chilled to the bone.

"I imagine you touch yourself and that turns me on. I have so many fetishes about you, ma'am. Don't be shy or angry, you are so tasty. Your face is so innocent like a baby, and that's exciting."

I stomped over to him and used all my strength to kick him in the balls. It felt good when he fell to the floor with a _thump_. "What the fuck are you doing back here? You ruined my life! Now, the bell just rang. Help yourself up." I went into my classroom, let my students in, and the door banged shut. I heard him muttering outside about needing a wheelchair. Alice gave me a quick hug and took me to exchange pleasantries with the substitute teacher.

"Ms. Platt, this is Ms. Turner, but she lets us call her Crystal." The little girl gestured towards a pale woman who was a few inches taller than me with with short dirty blonde hair, small blue eyes, and a gentle smile on her face.

"Hi, Ms. Turner, it's nice to meet you," I greeted her. She shook my hand. "How were they?"

"They were wonderful. You have the cutest group of children. They kept calling me 'Timmy Turner's mommy', so I just told them to call me Crystal. We had a few class parties. You can call me Crystal, too."

"And you can refer to me as Esme. That's awesome that you guys had a great time. You can stay here if you'd like. Join the fun!"

"Of course!"

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I opened it and felt a pain on my foot. I looked up to see the loser again.

"I'm the principal, little lady. You have to let me in." Charles was smirking. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, you can't touch me or the kids."

He just chuckled wickedly and started yelling at the children. "Run inside, quickly, run! Get against that wall! Quickly! Don't make me wait. Water. And hold the newt. Join the ranks. Move. I am here to teach you all a lesson." I gasped as he pushed all the desks to one side of the room after the kids scrambled away. "Sometimes in life, horrible and unexplainable things happen." He kicked another row of desks. "These things are a test of character." He pushed another set of desks. "And I like character. Form a line across the room! Quickly! Run, run, run! Don't keep me waiting. Fill this gap! I expect you're wondering what I'm talking about, hmmm? Yes. A child came to my house. I don't know how, I don't know when, I don't know why."

I cut in. "Mr. Evenson, I can explain-"

"No, you cannot." He turned to the scared children. "But I know a child came. So, did you know it was illegal to enter someone's home without their permission?"

"Yes, Mr. Evenson," the kids chorused in unison.

I had to step in again. "Mr, Evenson, I was the one-"

Charles grabbed my wrist and tried to twist it, but it barely hurt. "I broke your arm once before, Esme, I can do it again."

I pulled my arm away and scoffed. "I am not seven years old anymore, _Uncle Charles_!" I spat. The kids gasped as I revealed my biggest secret. Alice shot me a smile and gave me a thumbs up.

"Shut your holes!" He pointed the crop at Alice. "You will be put away in a place where not even the crows will land their droppings on you."

"You're being an idiot, guy I don't even know. Give me that stick." Crystal yanked the riding crop out of his weak hands and hit him over the head with it. I called Carlisle for backup and told him to bring Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie. Thankfully, he was still at the school since it had just started. The children followed him like ducklings in the room. Charles pointed at Carlisle from where he was on the floor and bellowed, "You still find Esme sexy? Yes, you say? Then touch her!" He shoved a VCR tape into the slot below the television, turned it on, and hit play. I almost threw up when I saw it. He had taken a video of me touching myself while I was in a shirt that one of his skanky anorexic whores grew out of. He needed to get his release somewhere when I was out with Renee, so he got some clothes for me and forced me to play with my breasts and my bulging belly to the camera. I looked at Carlisle, who was fuming and trying not to attack him. "Look at your favorite teacher, being all disgusting!" Charles guffawed.

"You're mean!" the children shouted at him and then covered their eyes. Crystal was gawking at Carlisle and I tapped her on the shoulder.

"Do something!" I exclaimed.

"Why are you doing this?" Emmett asked.

"Because I feel like it!" Charles snapped back childishly.

"I won't tolerate my mom getting degraded like this!" Alice said defiantly.

He grabbed Alice by the neck, but she just stared. This girl was one of my heros. In just a few seconds, the television started shaking. The picture got fuzzy and Alice announced, "Everyone, duck and cover!" I pulled Crystal down with me and we dove under a desk. The television exploded and Charles screamed while fragments of the screen flew all around the room. The VCR tape shot out of its slot and hit him in the mouth.

Alice rolled her eyes. "I told you to duck. Go to the nurse's office, you're bleeding."

"Shut up, you little moron!" he roared and wiped his mouth free of blood.

"Look." Jasper pointed to the white board and we were finally able to stand up and check out whatever was going on. The markers lifted themselves up on their own. I knew this was Alice's doing.

"The markers!" Rosalie murmured, amazed.

"The markers!" some kids echoed her.

"The blinds." I realized aloud. Charles looked around, wondering what they were talking about. The markers were raising up to the board and the blinds were opening and closing by themselves. Alice was staring all around the room.

"What the heck is going on?" Crystal whispered. "This is weird."

"Alice can move stuff with her eyes. She's pretty awesome."

"Cool!"

"He's scared," Carlisle chuckled.

Charles had a petrified look on his face as the markers wrote on the board. The children read the message as it appeared. "Charles...this is Anne...give my little Ezzie pie her house and her money."

"Money?"

"Then get out of town. If you don't, I will get revenge on you. I will get you like you got me. That is a promise. You destroyed her young life, now you must pay!" I just looked on in astonishment.

"Jeez, that kid's scary," Crystal muttered from next to me.

"She's doing it for me. That guy's my uncle and he got my mom in a coma for the last twenty years, and I was his little whore until he got his friends to rape me. That's why I was out for a month." I quickly explained before everything started hitting Charles.

"Oh, he's in for it now. That creep."

Alice proudly smiled as we all started giggling out loud. Charles collapsed with a huge crash and the blinds opened. That asshole looked as dead as a doornail and I nearly busted my gut laughing. Crystal and I stood back while the kids knelt down beside him, but then, he opened his eyes. He flung Diego up and he screamed.

I panicked. "No, no, Mr. Evenson, please don't throw him!"

He flung him up in the air anyway, but he did flips in the air with Alice's help. Everyone was so shocked and excited. Diego crashed into Charles, pushed him on top of the globe, it spun him round and round. By that time, Charles was dizzy! He finally flung off the spinning globe, across the floor, and he stood up. His eyes were rolling around all over the place and he must have been seeing double. He went for Maggie, but she rose up and hung onto a bar above the door frame. Charles busted through the door, and all the lunches fell out.

"Neat!" Ben cried.

"That's cool!" Angela agreed.

As the children started coming out of their classrooms to see what all the noise was about, Emmett hollered, "It's the Even-son-of a bitch!"

"Emmett, language!" Carlisle scolded him, but his son didn't listen. Instead, every child in the hallway began to throw their food at Charles.

"Hey you guys, look at this!" Emily pointed out. Sam gestured for Crystal and me to come out, so we scrambled into the hallway.

"Yes!" Carlisle fist-pumped triumphantly. "He's down!"

We were all cheering as Alice called out to Maggie, "Let go."

"Cool. I didn't know I could do that," her friend said as she gently lowered herself to the carpeted floor.

"Pretty good, huh?" Alice asked.

Maggie nodded happily and Bree gave Alice a hi-five. I shot a quick text to my mom to come to the school from Crystal's phone and then I let my substitute go home to her own family. We hugged quickly before Carlisle took me by the hand.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm protecting you from the flying food and your angry uncle. Let's get in my car so we don't get dive-bombed by huge apples or something!"

We ran out of the school, holding hands, and he rushed me into his car. We got home safely and I assumed that Charles was now locked up, since I saw the Chief's car pull up at the school.

Too bad he apparently broke out of jail the very next morning. He was trying to get me, but I got into the passenger seat of Carlisle's car and opened his driver's door. He was still outside from when he opened my door for me. I waved him towards the open door. "Come on, come on!"

He got in, placed his hands on the wheel, and someone nearly screamed, "Step on it, baby!"

I looked around for the voice and panicked when I couldn't find the face that matched it. Without thinking, I slammed my foot on the gas pedal as Carlisle's foot joined mine. Suddenly, I noticed Charlie's cop car right in front of us and Charles was between our two cars. "I love you, Charles!" I joked sarcastically. "Oh, April fucking Fools!" Charles tripped over his own feet as I rolled over something hard.

Carlisle shouted suddenly, "Oh my God, you killed him!" There were flames covering the evil man's body as he burned to death, never to be seen or heard from, never to darken a doorway again.

The kids celebrated with confetti and and everyone jumped up and down. This was one of the most cheerful moments of my life! It felt like a brick had been lifted off of my chest. I was finally free!

I had already moved back into my mom's house and obviously, Alice was a frequent visitor. Today, for example, my mom took us back to our house and Alice had YouTube up on the Mac computer.

"Listen to this song, it's from Annie. I can totally relate to her."

_...So maybe now this prayer's_

_The last one of its kind_

_Won't you please come get your "Baby"_

_Maybe...  
><em>

I hugged her while the song finished playing. "You have _got _to disown those fake parents of yours!"

Alice laughed. "I know. Too bad I'm almost never there. They're so annoying."

We walked out onto the porch and sat in the sun. A car zoomed up to the curb just as my mom set out a plate of cookies and two glasses of milk out for us.

"Thanks, Mom," I said warmly. She kissed the top of my head and then Alice's before she went back inside the house.

"All right." I heard a woman say in the distance.

"Quick!" a man responded.

"Hey, you!" I turned around to see Victoria walking up our porch steps. Alice put down the cookie she was just about to eat. "Hey, we're leaving. Let's go. Get in the car. Hurry up." She grabbed a pile of _my mother's homemade cookies_ and put them in a bag. "Wrap up these cookies. We're leaving now." How rude of her!

"I'd be happy to walk her home," I offered as kindly as I could. Really, I wanted to slap the bitch. How _dare_ she interrupt my mini girl time!

"Well, nobody will be there. We're moving to Guam." Victoria gestured to Alice. "Let's get a move on."

"Guam?" I rushed to follow them.

"Daddy's no longer in the oil business," she explained.

"I don't want to leave," Alice protested.

"But we're going on a permanent vacation!"

"We gotta beat the speedboat salesmen at the airport!" James shouted.

"I love it here. I love my school. This isn't fair. Please, don't let them take me!" Alice begged. My heart broke for her and I felt a lump in my throat. I wasn't about to lose my daughter to these nincompoops. Not this time!

"Get in the car, Allison!" Her kidnappers snatched her hands and half-dragged her to the car.

"Alice!" she corrected them.

"Whatever," James sighed.

"I want to stay with Ms. Platt."

"Ms. Platt doesn't want you. Why would she want some snotty kid?" Victoria rolled her eyes at me.

"Because she's a spectacularly wonderful child and I love her. Besides, she's my _biological daughter_!"

"Adopt me, Ms. Platt! You can adopt me!" Alice said excitedly. Well, that could work too.

James looked at his watch in frustration. "I don't have time for all these legalities."

"One second, Dad! I have the adoption papers!"

"What?" He looked bewildered.

"Where did you get those?" Victoria asked as Alice pulled out a pile of adoption papers. She must have seen that she would need to do this in one of her dreams. I felt like screaming and fist-pumping at the same time. This was awesome!

"A book in the library. I've had them since I was big enough to Xerox," she insisted.

"Are you hearing this, James?"

"All you have to do is sign them." Alice held the paper out to Victoria and James.

"I'll be an only child again!" her brother cheered from the car. Bella popped out from under a seat and laughed.

"When are we gonna continue our foursome?" she asked loudly.

"Shut up! I can't think with all these sirens." James spun around to face Victoria. "What do you think, pumpkin?"

His wife put her hand to her heart and then dropped it. "You're the only daughter I ever had, Alice. And I never understood you, not one little bit. Who's got a pen?" She held her hand out for something to write with and Alice smiled.

James handed her a pen. "Here."

"Thanks."

Doing perhaps the first decent thing they ever did for their daughter, the Brandons signed the adoption papers.

As Victoria signed the adoption papers, Alice told her where to sign.

"All right, come on. Here. Turn around." James sighed and signed the papers, using Alice's back as a table. "You're not gonna be calling us for support payments?"

"Oh, no, no. We'll have everything we need. Don't worry," I promised them.

"All right, here. Let's roll," James called out and his wife followed him into the car.

Alice ran to me and I picked her up and hugged her.

"Ciao!" Victoria waved as the car drove away in the distance.

So, James and Victoria got away, and as bad as things were before, that's how good they became. And Alice found to her great surprise that life could be fun, and she decided to have as much of it as possible. After all, she was a very smart kid. But the happiest part of the story is that Alice and I each got what we had always wanted-a loving family. And Alice never had to use her powers again. Well, I mean, almost never.

I carried her back inside the house and started playing random music. My mom pulled me aside while Alice continued to dance crazily.

"So, Charles died, huh?"

"Yes, and Alice's parents left town, never to return! I swear, this the happiest day of my life!"

"I can tell. You can't stop smiling. I'll let you and Alice hang out for the day while I go job hunting again." She hugged and kissed me good bye.

"I love you, Mom!"

"Love you too, baby."

"So, Ali...what do you want to do now? We got freedom, we can do whatever we want!" I took her by the hands and spun her around on the floor as she giggled.

"I want to show them all my powers. I showed Grandma already."

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Really? That's cool. What did you do?"

"She didn't believe me at first, so I asked her what book she wanted to read. I was kissing her goodnight and decided to move her favorite book into her hands. It was awesome."

"Wow. Do you want to invite the whole gang over? I'll call Carlisle and Lily so they can bring over Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper."

Alice nodded excitedly. "Yay! My besties!"

I smiled to myself at her reaction. The telephone rang and I picked it up. "Hello?"

"It's Renee. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for not doing anything while Charles was abusing you. I was wrong. But I made up for it by telling Charlie to arrest him. Apparently, the bastard died, did he not?"

"He's gone forever!" I squealed. "And I get to keep Alice! Those idiots moved to Guam and agreed to sign the adoption papers! Alice is a pure genius, I'm telling you. Now, I'm about to call Carlisle and Lily to tell them to bring their kids to my house, so you can have some fun time with Charlie."

Renee laughed. "Okay, talk to you later."

"Bye."

Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper ended up coming over and I was soon in charge of four kids. It wasn't a problem, since I was now capable of teaching again. They sat in a circle in Alice's room with their legs spread out.

"Ohhhhhmmmmm..." Emmett chanted.

"No, no, shhh, be quiet!" Alice hushed him. "I'm trying to concentrate."

"We're listening to a six year old," Emmett sighed and Rosalie rubbed her hands in anticipation.

"The prettiest six year old I know," Jasper murmured.

"Oooh, Jazzy's been bitten by the love bug!" Rosalie teased him. I was enjoying their playful banter.

"Aw, thanks, Jasper. Are you guys ready?"

"Yes!" they shouted in unison.

Alice's eyes got big as she sat still. After making the bed, two pillows began hitting each other, like two ghosts were having a pillow fight. Her friends gazed in wonder at what was happening.

"Whoa, cool!" they exclaimed.

My little star jumped up and waved her arms around while her dolls danced with each other. "Okay, party's over!" she commanded, and so the objects went right back to where they came from. Everyone applauded, including me.

Later, they were rolling around the house and doing cartwheels, but who was I to stop them? I even did a few cartwheels myself. I was having so much fun playing and dancing around with the children. They had a hula-hoop contest and of course, I joined in. Alice won, naturally, but she let the others have their chance to shine as well. The rest of the afternoon turned into evening and then it was time for Carlisle and Lily to pick Alice's friends up from their play date.

The children skipped around the house and hid in a closet when the doorbell rang. I just had to chuckle as I let them in.

"It's very quiet in here. Where is Emmett?" Carlisle asked me.

"And Rosalie and Jasper?" Lily added.

"They went to Hawaii!" Alice announced from inside the closet. I held back a peal of insane laughter.

"Hawaii, huh?" Carlisle asked, following the shuffling sounds from inside the closet. "I think their flight got canceled." He opened the door, bent down, and I got a great view of his cute butt. "Esme, Lily, help me out here, I can't see them in this dark closet! We can tickle them if need be!"

Alice ran out from between his legs and tugged on the hem of my shirt. "Don't let them go. Can they sleep over? Pleeeeease?" She clasped her hands together and looked up at me in anticipation.

"Well, no boys, but Rosalie can, if Lily allows it."

"Uh oh, I think I found them!" Lily said and pulled a giggling Rosalie out of one of my mom's coats that was hanging on the rack. Jasper slipped out from under the coat and obediently followed his mom. Carlisle put Emmett over his shoulder and plopped him down on the floor.

"Darn it, Rosie, you were heavy on my shoulders!"

Rosalie put her hands on her hips. "It was _your _idea." She stuck her tongue out at him and the twins made noises at each other.

"Stop it," Lily scolded them.

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "Kids these days."

"Lily, can Rosalie please stay here for a sleepover?" Alice begged.

"Of course she can. Have fun, sweetie." Lily picked up her little girl and kissed her everywhere, making her laugh. Then, after goodbyes and hugs, she and Carlisle left with the boys.

My mom arrived back home with Mexican takeout and a chick flick for the two of us. It would be inappropriate for Alice and Rosalie, so we sent them upstairs to play Barbies and watch the Powerpuff Girls in Alice's room.

"Esme, you're eating for two!" Mom pointed out suddenly.

I shrugged. "Yeah, so what? I've been really hungry lately. It's probably part of my PTSD. Don't make fun." I pouted at her. "I still have nightmares and then throw up. Thank god that didn't happen today or last night."

She shook her head. "I'm glad we had the girls hang out upstairs. I'm worried about your health. Do you feel okay?"

"I'm a little tired, but it's been a long, fun-filled day."

Mom put her hand on my forehead and I jumped at her cool skin. "Ooh, that's cold."

"I think all that activity made you sweaty. You look pale, darling. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I might need some water." Maybe she was right. I _was _too hot.

"That shirt is a bit tight on you," she said softly as she handed me the glass of water. I poured it down and glared at her.

"Are you calling me fat?" I gasped sharply and slapped my hand over my mouth. My cheeks puffed out as the taste of vomit rose up from my chest and into my mouth. I ran for the toilet and let out a thick stream of yellowish liquid. "There goes my dinner," I sighed to myself. I put my head in my hands as it pounded for the longest time.

"Esme, you should see a doctor," Mom recommended, but I wasn't having any of it.

"It's from my PTSD, I know it. I don't need a damn doctor!"

"Well, let's see. You're having mood swings, eating and throwing up more than normal, your shirt is getting too small, and when was your last period since the night you were sexually assaulted?"

"What the hell are you trying to say?" I almost screamed at her.

"Be quiet, you'll bother the girls," she said harshly. "I think you're pregnant. I've had this theory since you started group therapy and weren't getting any better. I finally had the time to buy you a test. Here you go, pee on the stick." She gave me a stick, I did what she said, and it came out positive.

"What the fuck? This is bullshit!" I threw the stick in the trashcan. "I can't be pregnant! It's gotta be a lie!"

"Shhh, honey, it's gonna be okay," she tried to reassure me.

"No, it won't be okay!" I started to sob. "No!"

She held me until I calmed down. After wiping the sheen of sweat off my forehead, Mom helped me into bed and the little girls decided to curl up next to me, one on each side. It made me feel a lot better. Since Alice was my daughter, I gave her an extra squeeze.

I kissed them both good night and then Alice said, "I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, sweetie pie."

**Giant thanks to K. K. Fush, TeamCullenx, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, Just4Me, TheMortician'sDaughter, CarlisleandEsme, Msoxcookie, that kiwi chick, and MrsCarlisleCullen13 for reading and reviewing!**


	23. Seeing Red

**Thank you to my beta&prereader, K.K. Fush and TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Carlisle POV

We had done it.

We had killed Charles together, but I let Esme believe she got rid of him all by herself. She was the first one to step on the gas pedal, but I wanted to help her. I was proud of us, and I hoped she was too. I was so happy that she was in high spirits for the last two days.

"Alice is so cool, Dad!" Emmett was chattering away in the back seat while I drove him and Jasper to school. "She made her own bed without even moving! Hey, Jasper, maybe she can make our beds!"

"Yeah, that would be nice," Jasper laughed.

"Guys, Alice isn't your maid. You can ask her if she wants to, though," I interrupted their conversation. "Anyway, we're here."

"I wonder who's gonna run the school if Charles is dunzo!" Emmett said and grabbed his backpack.

A horn honked behind me and I spun around. Esme waved at us excitedly and got out of her mom's car with the little girls following her. She tapped on the window, so I rolled it down.

"I was made principal at Forks Elementary. Now, kids never want to leave! So, since I'm in charge, Alice is now in Rosalie and Jasper's class since Renee is her second favorite teacher and she's smart enough to be in the third grade. My mom talked to the school board and made sure all of this happened!"

My heart lifted and it sounded like angels were singing from above. "Really? Congratulations!"

"Thanks. I've gotta run and take control of the whole school. Bye!"

"You're welcome. Good luck!"

Esme flashed me a smile and practically ran into the building with the children. I started driving away from the school, but when I passed Anne, she made a motion for me to stop my car. She beckoned me over.

"Sir-"

"Mrs. Platt, just call me Carlisle. Please."

"I'll call you Carlisle if you call me Anne. It makes me feel younger and like I didn't use to have a husband that I loved dearly."

"Sorry. Anne it is, then."

She smiled at me. "I wanted to have a few words with you, Carlisle. It's nothing bad, I assure you."

"I didn't think it was."

"It's about my daughter. As you probably know, she's had a very tough life. My Ezzie seems cheerful at this moment, but on the inside, she's horribly damaged. She can't be alone. Good things need to keep happening to her or else she will hurt herself badly. I need you to do me a favor, please."

"I'd love to help you ladies out."

"Thank you. Watch out for her when I'm not there."

"Of course, we used to be in a romantic relationship, and I still want to protect and love her." I looked at my watch frantically because I was supposed to be driving to the hospital with Lily.

"I apologize, do you need to get someplace?"

"Yes, I work as a doctor."

"Then go, I don't want you to be late."

"Hold on, who's with Esme now?"

"Her new friend and secretary, Brooke LaDue. I also assume that the vice principal, Caroline Crossan is with them. Yes, you're hearing me right. She hired all her therapy group friends as the main staff of the school, and her substitute teacher, Crystal Turner, is now the first grade teacher in place of Esme."

"I'm glad she has support in her office. See you later."

"Bye!"

My morning went smoothly until my lunch break. I heard a woman yelling, "Betty! Where the hell are you, you fucking whore?" Echoing footsteps stormed down the hallway and a minute later, the screaming started. I rushed into an office where it was the loudest and my mouth fell wide open.

"Holy shit," I muttered to myself.

Esme had Betty down on the ground. She was repeatedly punching her in the face with one of her hands, while her other hand held Betty's wrists. She was sitting on Betty's legs so she wouldn't get kicked and whenever Betty would try to hold her head up, Esme would spit in her eyes.

"Stop it, you psycho ex girlfriend!" Betty cried.

"Nope, this is what you get! You don't touch other men's jewels! That is not okay!"

"Why do you even care? You don't love him anymore. You broke his heart!"

"You don't know what I'm going through! I am in a rough place right now and I don't need you to make my mood even worse! My friends told me to get rid of my enemies and that is exactly what I am doing!" Esme slammed Betty's head down, straddled her, and wrapped her hands around Betty's neck. The woman's eyes rolled back in her head and she started choking. Esme let out an evil laugh as Betty screamed, "Carlisle, help me!"

I sighed in annoyance. Even though I loved Esme, I couldn't stand to see her beating someone else up or killing them.

"If you help her, I press down on her jugular. If you say a word, I squeeze her throat tighter so she can't breathe."

I quickly grabbed Esme up by her arms, but she struggled away from me. I held her tightly, even though she was digging her fingernails into my arms. Her eyes were wild and she was breathing deeply, so deeply that it sounded like she was growling under her breath.

"Are you insane?"

She gasped between breaths. "Maybe."

"Come on, Betty," I heard Gerandy saying. The woman was wheezing like crazy and she now needed medical help. Esme just needed mental help.

"Esme, that wasn't necessary." I took her outside to my car. "How did you even get here?"

"Crystal drove me."

"I just can't understand why you would want to kill a woman out of pure jealousy. Don't stoop down to her level. If she wants to be a whore, let her be one. I would never go out with her. You know that."

Esme raised her fist in triumph. "YES! OH MY GOD, YES! I was protecting you. You're my BFF and now that bitch knows never to touch your junk again! If she does, and you let her, well, you'll never become a father, just a warning." She smirked at me and pretended to kick me in the nuts. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you for protecting me. Just don't hurt anyone. Besides, you don't want to get arrested for fighting or manslaughter. Be strong. Deal?" I held out my hand for her to shake.

"Sorry, I was angry," she mumbled while shaking my hand. "It won't happen again. I'll just ignore her next time."

"Good girl."

"Bye! I gotta go back." She gave me a quick hug and then disappeared into Crystal's car.

After that little stunt she pulled, I decided to visit her every day after school at Anne's house. I had to watch her and make sure she didn't hurt anyone, including herself. I was extremely glad I did, since she answered the door in a white blouse that had a huge bloodstain on the front. She noticed me staring and gave me a stern look.

"I'm not being perverted, I swear. What happened?"

"My mom caught me trying to cut these off." She pointed to her breasts and I felt sick.

"Why would you do that? You'll die from loss of too much blood," I worried.

"So this won't happen anymore. So I won't get raped again. You don't understand how much I hate being touched in my woman areas. I have to get rid of my beauty. I might shave my head bald. After what happened to me, I don't want to look like a woman any longer."

"Okay, I understand. I hope your mom has thrown away all the sharp objects in the house because I don't want you to injure yourself on purpose or by mistake, ever. I'm scared to see you like this. Do you have a bandage?"

"Yeah, but some of the blood is seeping through. Oh well. I also want to fix my crooked smile. Where do you think the line should go, up here, or here?" Esme drew an imaginary line on either side of her smile. I shuddered as I pretended her lips were cut open and bleeding. "It's a nice picture, huh? Me looking ugly as shit."

"Esme, no. You stop that. Don't beat yourself up. You're killing me here."

"Creepy discussion we're having, huh?"

I nodded. "Come sit with me on the couch, and we can discuss your day. How is being the principal going for you?" I closed the door behind us and put my arm around her as I led her to her couch.

"It's awesome. You know the Chokey?"

"That was an awful room."

"Yeah, it was actually the supply closet once. I redecorated it with Brooke, Caroline, Crystal, and the treasurer, Georgia Barnes. Caroline's assistant, Kasey, helped me. They made sure I didn't hurt myself with all the broken glass that was inside. The glass was sanded down and painted pretty rainbow colors, so it's like sea glass now. We installed a bench in there, threw away the nails, and put up a lightbulb that would shine in the room. It's now a place where a couple could make out if they felt like it or if something was too high for me to reach, I could stand on the bench and get it."

"That's wonderful, Esme. I would love to see it sometime. It sounds like a beautiful place now."

"Oh, and we also put flowers in there so it could smell nice. We also remodeled his drab office into my awesome office! I bought myself a chair on wheels with a nice soft padding where I sat down and I fixed up my desk, too! I put pictures of me with my mom and me with Alice on it. The kids colored up the place as well, with murals they designed themselves. I told them all to be as creative as possible, and they made a wallpaper for me! I loved it."

"Cute. I'm dying to see this office."

She grinned. "Awesome. I'll show you tomorrow."

Just then, Alice burst through the door and threw herself into Esme's lap. "Hi, Mama!"

"Hey, baby, where have you been, huh?"

"Jasper's house. Lily teased us and said we were having a double date, but we're too young for love," she giggled.

"That's right, you are."

"Where's Grandma?"

"She's in her room, on the phone and trying to call a therapist for me. She saw me trying to hurt myself."

Alice gasped. "I love you too much! Don't hurt yourself, please!"

"I didn't get that far." Esme stifled a laugh behind her palm. "I'll be fine, honey. Don't worry."

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't look it."

Esme shrugged. "I guess I'm a weirdo. Come here, you!" Alice started laughing as Esme tickled her.

"Mommy, I saw that you would take our whole school to a theme park on Friday. In fact, you're gonna do it every Friday!" the little girl exclaimed excitedly.

"You are correct, my darling." Esme showered her daughter with kisses as Alice cheered. I smiled at the scene.

Anne walked into the room with a portable phone in her hand. "Esme, I found someone who can help you. Her name is Ella Madriz. She has lots of experience and she's nice and young. She even brings in her friends to share stories if you ever don't feel like talking."

"Yay! When do I start?

"This Saturday afternoon. She also said you can call her if you need anything. You'll get her card on Saturday."

"Okay, awesome."

"Carlisle, Alice, hello. Give me a hug!" Anne opened her arms and her granddaughter jumped into them immediately. I gave her a one-armed hug.

"Grandma, can you make pasta? Rigatoni with spaghetti sauce is my favorite!"

"Oh my god, yummy!" Esme squealed like Alice did. "Please, Mom?"

"How can I say no to your pretty faces? Carlisle, is pasta for dinner okay?"

"It's fine, ma'am."

"Now, I told you to call me Anne!" she scolded me.

Embarrassment flooded my cheeks. "Sorry, Anne."

"Don't worry about it, son."

We watched television while she served us and then she left for the night to sleep over at Renee's house. Alice was apparently going with her.

"Bye, you two," Anne murmured while enveloping us both in a hug. Esme kissed her mom on the cheek and Anne tousled her daughter's hair.

Alice waved at us from her grandma's arms. "Have fun!"

"You too, baby," Esme said as she squeezed Alice tightly. When they left, she clapped her hands once and announced, "It's just you and me now. Can I tickle you?"

"Why?" I backed up as she came closer to me with her wiggling fingers.

"I'm ticklish. Are you?" She attacked my sides, and it made me burst out laughing. "You know, ticklish people make great lovers. It's erogenous."

"Are you saying I'm good in bed?" I asked after I got my breath back.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Let's party all night long!"

"We have to get up early tomorrow!"

"Fine, I don't wanna be tired. I'll go to bed. Don't leave me here alone."

Esme wanted me to stay on the couch overnight because she had just recently woken up screaming from a nightmare. I bolted upstairs and into her room. In seconds, I had my arms around her while she was shaking.

"Charles was trying to force me to be a swimsuit model for him! It actually happened when I was thirteen!" Her voice cracked and I held her tighter.

"You're okay now," I calmed her. She ended up falling asleep in my arms again. While her eyes were closed, she resembled a peaceful angel. Her breath was shaky as she tried to stop crying.

Slowly and silently, I laid her head down on the pillow, kissed my index and middle fingers, and lightly pressed them onto her forehead.

"Good night, my sunshine," I whispered in the darkness. She mumbled and rolled onto her other side. I went back downstairs so I could get some sleep.

Hours later into the night, I heard soft footsteps and a door closing. I opened one eye and saw a closet's door handle being turned and then locked. I got up to investigate. I knocked, and then the door swung open. Esme looked up at me and rolled her eyes.

"I've been a bad girl."

I noticed that she had chained herself up and was about to put duct tape over her mouth, but I stopped her just in time.

"Why do you think you have been bad? You're a very good girl and you have done some dumb things, but don't we all?"

"I killed Charles. I almost killed that nurse. I want to kill myself."

"Look, you killed Charles because he was such an asshole to you all your life. As for Betty, she didn't really deserve that, but I don't blame you for being mad at her. And you killing yourself...that's just something I can't imagine. I'm lost without you!"

"Then help me out of this trap!"

I untangled her from the chains while she exclaimed that she was sleepwalking. She had forgotten to take her pills because of all the cheerful moments, like Charles getting ran over, her adopting Alice, and becoming principal of the school. Once she was on her medicine, she started apologizing profusely for her behavior, but I forgave her. I led her back up the stairs and she settled into her bed with a gentle smile on her face.

"Carlisle," she called out before I left her room. "Sit by me, please."

"What is it, Esme?" I sat on the small space next to her head and she rested her chin on my thigh. I reached down and twirled a strand of her hair around my finger. "You're so pretty."

"Thanks, I guess. Hey, let's plan a surprise birthday party for Alice. Where should we have it?"

"That's a great idea. It's your choice, she's your daughter."

"Well, she's seven, so maybe...a Barbie-themed party, or a Powerpuff Girls themed party. Or both. I could dress up as her favorite princess, Snow White...and are you good with magic tricks?"

"Alice can already do magic tricks."

"Yeah, I know, but I want to entertain her friends who aren't so supernatural."

"I got you. So you want me to be the magician? I'm honored."

"Yes, and the ladies will help me decorate the area around the park. The kids can play on the swings and we adults can have a picnic."

"How did you come up with this?"

"It's what I've always wanted to do as a little girl. I want to give my baby the party I never had." She looked down sadly. "Is that selfish of me?"

"No, you've never had a party since you were what, four or five? You deserve this."

"I don't remember the last time I celebrated my birthday. I can't even make a fucking cake!"

"I can help you with that. Wait, didn't Renee take you out for your birthday?"

"Oh, he loved playing around with me on my birthday. I was either locked in the cage or tied up on his bed. It was worse on my birthday."

My heart squeezed painfully and I stroked her hair. "I'll give both you and Alice birthdays you will remember for the rest of your lives."

Esme dried her tears on my flannel-covered thigh. "It's fine. You can go back to sleep now."

"Sweet dreams." Out of habit, I bent down to kiss her forehead, but she grumbled and hid her face in the pillow to muffle her sobs. Instead, I rubbed her back soothingly until her cries turned to quiet breathing. Then, I decided it was time for me to fall asleep, so I yawned and returned to the pull-out couch downstairs.

The next morning, I was redressing myself in the bathroom when I heard a loud scream. I jumped and pulled my boxers and jeans up at the same time. "Jesus, Esme!" I shouted. "Why'd you walk in on me? The door was locked!"

"Sorry," Esme giggled. "That's a bad lock."

"You could have warned me," I groaned.

"Aw, don't worry about it. Your ass isn't that bad." Esme was blushing as she backed out of the room.

I shook my head in shock and tried leaving the house before anyone noticed. By the time I was about to escape, I heard her talking dirty about me to her mom. If what just happened wasn't awkward enough...

"Is it weird that I find Carlisle's bare ass attractive? Mmm, that sex machine on legs, nice and toned...oh god...I'm terrible."

"It's totally natural. You have a crush on him!" Anne declared.

"He shouldn't be this...perfect!"

"What did he do this time to make my baby girl swoon? I was at Renee's and I missed everything from last night to now. Alice wanted me to sleep with her."

"He protected me from my crazy bitch self. I've never been so grateful!"

"You should go out with him as a couple."

"Oh, no, I don't wanna kiss him cuz he's gonna run...I'm screwed up and my life is good now that you're alive and Charles is dead!"

"He's a good man for you, darling."

"Mom!" Esme whined. "There's other women out there for him. I don't deserve him, I really don't. I've been so mean to him when he's trying to help me...oh God, just push me down the stairs already!"

Her medicine had worn off. I ran halfway up the stairs before she could trip herself.

"No!" Anne yelled, but the crash came anyway. I watched her tumble down the steps and into my arms. She landed hard on my chest and I held onto her with one arm around her waist and my other hand tightly wrapped around the stair rail. Our combined weight caused us to roll the rest of the way down the stairs, and her head lolled over to one side on my arm. She banged her knee on the wall and received a huge scrape with blood gushing from the wound. There was already a bruise underneath the injured area. Anne flew to her daughter's side and I checked her pulse and let out a sigh of relief.

"She's still breathing. Go get some ice, please."

"Mommy!" Alice cried.

"She'll be all right, she just got a little shock, a scrape, and a few bruises."

Esme stared up at us and moaned. "Suicide attempt failed. It just knocked the wind out of me."

Anne came back with the ice and laid it on Esme's forehead. "You could have cracked your skull open!"

"Sorry..."

"I'll carry her to the bathroom to get her scrape washed, and then meet me at the couch. I'll sit down on the ottoman and you can sit next to her," I offered.

Anne smiled and I picked Esme up with one arm hooked under her legs and the other supporting her head on my chest. She looped her arms around my neck. I walked into the bathroom and helped her stand on one foot. When I ran the cool water over her scrape, she shrieked, "That stings like fuck!"

"I know, it'll be over soon," I soothed her. "Shhh..." I washed my hands with soap and lathered her knee with it.

"Ow, don't touch! Ow, ow, ow!"

Her eyes were filling with tears, but I had to do my job so it wouldn't get infected. "I'm sorry, Ezzie, I need to do this. I care about you. I don't want that scrape getting dirty. There, all done." I patted the wound with a rag and scooped her up again.

When we entered the living room, Alice scrambled to catch up with me. I laid a soft pillow on one of the cushions and placed Esme on the couch, ever so gently.

"I'll get her pills and some water. Carlisle, you're a doctor, right?" Anne asked.

I nodded. "I know what to do. Ali, please get the Band-Aids, the large kind."

Alice saluted me adorably. "Sir, yes sir!" She then scampered off to get the first aid kit.

Esme sniffled and I wiped away a tear that was slowly falling down her cheek. "You'll be okay," I whispered. "Are you ready to take your antidepressants again?"

"Mm-hm." She nodded and I sat her up so she would be ready to take her pills. Anne handed her two white pills and a glass of cold water. She gulped it right down with the medicine. "Aaaah, that hits the spot!"

"Here's your big Band-Aid, Mama!" Alice announced and handed her an adhesive with gauze in the middle.

"I'll do it. Lay back, Esme." I put the Band-Aid neatly on top of her scrape to protect it from bacteria and iced her bruise. "Are you all better now?"

"Yeah," she mumbled. "I have to go to school! I don't wanna be late!"

At the mention of school, Alice started packing up her stuff.

"I'll take you. Anne, you can just rest."

"Thank you, Carlisle. Bye, Esme, bye, Alice, have fun!" Anne kissed her daughter and granddaughter on their cheeks.

Esme sat in the back with Alice, which I didn't mind at all. I could talk to both girls and still pay attention to the road.

"Alright, Esme, I've already heard about your time as the principal. Let's hear about Alice's first day of third grade."

That started the little girl's chatter. "Well, yesterday, Renee put me in a group with my best friends, Jasper and Rosalie! It's like she knew we were meant to be together! We started a science experiment since there's two months of school left and the Science Fair is coming up soon, on Open House night! That's in May."

I chuckled. "What's your science experiment on?"

"Chocolate chip cookies! We're trying to determine which ones brown faster on the bottom, whole wheat or white."

"Hm, that's interesting. Are you sure you won't be tempted to eat them all?" I teased her.

Alice giggled. "No, Carlisle, I'm smart enough to only make them for the science experiment! And no stealing my cookies either! You can, after the Science Fair. That is, if there's any left."

"Okay, okay, I won't steal your cookies. Are you keeping them from Esme and Anne as well?"

She nodded happily and snuggled into Esme's side.

"Wanna hear a joke, you guys?" She didn't let us answer, before she asked, "Why didn't the skeleton go to prom?"

"I have no idea, sweetheart. He didn't have a date?" Esme asked.

Alice shook her head. "No, he didn't have any _body _to go with!" We laughed out loud. _  
><em>

"Ah, good one, Ali!" I complimented her.

"Thank you! And I'm also practicing cursive writing...look!" There was a rustling of papers.

"Oooh, nice!" Esme squealed.

"Thanks, Mommy. We're reading _The Tail of Emily Windsnap _and the_ Wayside School _series!"

"That sounds fun! Are you helping your friends?" I asked.

"I sure am! Wanna give me a spelling test, Mama? Here's my list."

"We're almost there, and you probably know them all, sweetie."

"Mama, pleeeeeeeease?" she begged.

"Alright, let me see. Balloon."

"B-A-L-L-O-O-N!" she said proudly.

That's right!" Esme said excitedly. "You get a gold star!"

"The solar system is really cool, too! I know all the planets, besides the moon and the sun! Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and sometimes, you can see Pluto! My favorite planet is Saturn because it's so pretty and it has a ring around it. Now, I want to get binoculars!"

"So do I," both Esme and I said in unison.

Alice was talking a mile a minute. "I finally get to use a computer and practice typing. We use the program, _Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing_ and we get to play _Oregon Trail_! That's the best game in the whole wide world! Besides Barbies and Powerpuff Girls, of course. And I know every single fraction there is! And the fifty states, too! We learned a song!"

"Ready, set, go!" I shouted while Esme laughed.

"Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies,  
>Shout 'em, scout 'em, tell all about 'em,<p>

One by one,til we've given a day to every state in the good ol' USA  
>Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut-<br>Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana-  
>Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,<br>Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,-  
>Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,<br>Nebraska..., Nevada,-  
>New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,-<br>North Carolina, North Dakota, O H I O,-  
>Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,<br>South Dakota, Tennessee, Tex-as,-  
>Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming..."<p>

"Yay! Great job!" Esme praised her and clapped her hands. "We're here. Come on, Ali."

"Bye, girls!"

They left the car while holding hands, waved goodbye at me, and skipped to the building.

**Sorry for the long wait! Thank you for reviewing: TeamCullenx, Just4Me, K.K. Fush, CarlisleandEsme, TheMortician'sDaughter, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, MrsCarlisleCullen13, and Msoxcookie!**


	24. Excitement and Butterflies

**Thank you for beta'ing, K.K. Fush,& prereading,TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Esme POV

What a morning. What a night! In fact, what a day!

From noon on Wednesday to this morning, Carlisle had been my main supporter through all my craziness. Well, my mom helped me out too, but even though I tried to scare Carlisle away, he always seemed to come back and save me from myself. One of these days, I was going to go too far over the edge and he wouldn't be able to stop me. I prayed it wouldn't happen anytime soon.

After teaching different classes, I was finally free to go to lunch. Renee and Carmen joined us ladies in my office.

"The only guarantee in life is that you're gonna die," I said to myself out loud.

"Why so depressive today, Esme?" Brooke asked.

"I just realized that without my mom, my friends, my daughter, and Carlisle, I have nothing to live for."

"Those are the things everyone lives for! You have the right priorities. But seriously, they're not gonna leave you!" Caroline said.

"They love you, Esme," Georgia added.

"Hello? They're gonna die!"

"Yes, but when they're old, and they'll go peacefully in their sleep." Kasey assured me.

"Hopefully!" Suddenly, I got bored of the conversation and wanted to move on to lighter topics.

"You're invited to Alice's party this Saturday," I whispered in Renee's ear. "And so are Rosalie and Jasper."

"Awesome! My favorite students. I have news for you, too. You'll get wedding invitations in the mail soon!"

"You're getting married to Charlie again?" I quirked up an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well, yeah! Besides, Bella ran off with the Brandons, so we never have to deal with her again!"

"You never told me you were getting remarried!"

"Sorry, I wanted to keep it a surprise from my girl friends. The bachelorette party is next weekend and we're going to a rave! And you'll be my maid of honor!"

"God, I can't wait. Oh, I have to call every one of Alice's friends now. There's Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Bree, Diego, Angela, Ben, Maggie, Gianna...nine kids. That should be easy. I have to tell them to either be their favorite character from the Powerpuff Girls or for the girls, dress up as their favorite princess."

"It's last minute!" Carmen worried.

"Eh, who cares? You're Angela's mom, can she come? And I can just ask Carlisle and Lily in person."

"Yeah, she'll be able to make it."

"Okay, great. Let me call the others and let them know."

It turned out they all could come. After I got off the phone, Carlisle came knocking at my office door. I saw him through the window and I was shocked that he actually followed through on his promise to check out my office on this day. I opened the door for him and he wrapped me up in his arms right away.

"Nice place," he said, with his arm still around my shoulder. "So who's classes did you teach today?"

"Nobody's that you really know. I went in alphabetical order, so I don't get to teach Crystal, Renee, or Carmen's classes until the end of the year. Boo." I pouted at him.

"You're cute when you make that face."

I blushed, but tried to get rid of it. "Carlisle, don't say that in front of my friends. They're staring at us."

"Okay..." Carlisle wandered around the room and paused at the supply closet. "Nice remodeling, ladies."

"Thanks," we said in unison.

"Now, get back to work," I teased him. "I want girl time."

"Bye!" He waved at us and we waved back.

I took the kids to a field trip the next day. It was fun, but not as much as Alice's birthday on April 9th. Her birthday was on a Saturday, the same day I had my appointment with Ms. Madriz.

"Happy birthday, princess!" I woke Alice up by gently shaking her until she opened her eyes.

"Thanks, Mama. I'm seven today!" she said cheerfully.

"That's right! And I'm making you a special breakfast! What do you want?"

"Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream!"

"I can do that, little missy," I said and poked her nose as she giggled. "Then I have an appointment from eleven til' noon."

"Can I sleep while you make my breakfast?" Alice yawned.

"Why don't you open what I got for you instead? I'm sure you'll love it!"

She nodded excitedly. I handed her a basket full of my old Barbie dolls and the toy motor home that I found in the back of Renee's closet.

"This is what I've always wanted! Thanks!" We shared a hug until I had to get downstairs, take my pills, and start making her special breakfast. I even served her breakfast in bed. Her eyes were moving around as the bites went into her mouth.

"Open up, Mama!"

I raised an eyebrow and opened my mouth as a piece of waffle with a strawberry and whipped cream lifted itself up and aimed for my mouth. I felt it go in and I chewed it in surprise.

"Thanks, sweetheart," I laughed. "Yum!"

"I have to share with you. Where's Grandma? I want to feed her, too."

"I got up before her. Hold on, I'll wake her up."

I knocked on Mom's bedroom door and asked if I could come in.

"Come on in, Ezzie-pie." She was sitting up in her bed and stretching.

I grinned at my nickname. "Good morning, Mom. We're having breakfast. It's Alice's seventh birthday today!"

"Oh my goodness, I almost forgot! Shame on me. I didn't even get her a present. Damn!"

"That's okay, I didn't either. She was pleased with my old Barbie stuff, though. You can go and get her a present now, if you'd like."

"I don't have money, remember? You're the working girl in the house."

"What I earn only pays for the necessities. I don't have anything to spend on luxuries. I feel so bad. We'll be homeless!" I worried.

"Oh, no, darling. I'm going to get a job, it just doesn't start until Monday."

"Yay! Where are you going to work?"

"I'm now an event planner. No experience needed! I don't really remember where I worked before I was almost beat to death, but apparently, many people are getting married or having fun parties."

"That's cool. Why would someone be having an occasion on a Monday?"

"The woman who is having one likes to plan things far in advance, and she'll have time to call me on Monday."

"Ah, okay. Are you planning Renee's wedding?"

"No, I had no idea she was having one. Whenever it is, though, I'm going to give her away. She doesn't even know who her father is and her mother...I guess she disappeared off the face of the earth."

"Well, that's sweet. She just told me she was getting married to Charlie, like on Thursday. I was supposed to keep it a secret, I guess, but oh well. We'll get invitations soon. Anyway, we should start decorating for Alice's party at the park. That can be your present for her."

"Thanks for the idea, honey. Help your old mom out of this bed."

"Stop that," I reprimanded her. "You're only fifty."

"Half my life is over!"

"You missed twenty years. You're still young in my eyes."

"Thanks." Mom touched my cheek fondly and kissed the top of my head. I looped arms with her and we walked to Alice's room together.

"I'm going to my meeting now. Your grandma will take you to Carlisle's house so you can play with your friends, okay? I'll be back in a couple of hours. Bye, sweetie."

My little girl hugged me around my waist. "Bye, Mama. I'll be good."

"I know that."

"Happy Birthday, Alice!" Mom was shouting as she lifted her granddaughter high up in the air. I laughed to myself as I got ready to go.

"Thanks, Grandma. Want some waffles?"

"Sure..."

Their voices were getting fainter as I walked further down the hallway. I took a bus to the meeting to some sexual assault center for women in Forks. My mom would have driven me, but I wanted to let her have time with Alice. I looked around the huge building until the receptionist asked me what I was doing.

"I'm looking for Ella Madriz?"

"Oh, yes, she's in her office. Just follow me..."

The woman led me to an office marked with my therapist's name and room number on the door. She rapped on the door a few times and it opened to reveal a young woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. She was my height and had brown curly hair, square glasses with purple frames that covered two hazel eyes. She smiled when she saw me.

"Are you Ms. Madriz?" I asked as the receptionist walked away. "No offense, but you don't look Spanish." She wasn't even tan. She was as light-skinned as me. We shook hands.

The young woman showed me her hand. She pointed to a glittering ring and corrected me. "Mrs. Madriz. But you may call me Ella."

"Hi, Ella. My name's Esme. My daughter's birthday is today, so how long...?"

"Only an hour," she promised me. "Do you want to start?"

"I would feel more comfortable if you told me more things about yourself."

"I'm Ella, you know...I'm twenty-nine, and I'm married to a Mexican-American man named Thomas. We have a four year old daughter, Emily Rose."

"Aha, that explains the Spanish last name. So, was it love at first sight?"

"Not really, we met through a mutual friend. But you're here to talk about your problems. Let me tell you something. There was a man named Paul that was forty. He lusted after me when I was thirteen. My parents laughed it off and said that he was mentally disabled and didn't know better. Naturally, I was pissed. Excuse my language. I was happy that I found another friend, years later, that went through a similar case of sexual harassment. You can meet her next week. My boyfriend helped me heal. How are you hurting yourself? Your mom tells me you try to do that."

"Oh, I just attempted suicide. I fell down the stairs and I merely got a scraped knee. I also stabbed myself in the chest. This guy, Carlisle, and my mom were both treating it like it was a medical emergency. My daughter, Alice, was really worried about me. They all tell me I've gone insane because of my life." I told her about everything that happened to me with Charles and by the time I was done, she was holding back her tears. "Hey, what's with the crying?"

"You poor girl," was all she said as she enveloped me in a hug. My rigid form softened in her arms. "How can you heal when you've gone through so much?"

"That's the thing. I can't."

"Well, I'm going to help you. It's good that he's gone now. He isn't able to hurt you anymore. And your mom's back!"

"That's true. I also have a daughter. She needs a good role model. I wish I had a boyfriend to help me heal, but I don't. Carlisle and I are just friends, but for some reason, I feel jealous of every woman who flirts with him. I'm not even in love with him. I told you I'm a weird person." I rolled my eyes.

"You just need time. Now, go back to your family. I'll see you next week."

"Actually, my best friend's wedding is next week. Can I come the weekend after?"

"Oh, sure. Here's my card. Your mom will pay me, you don't have to."

"Okay, thank you." I tucked the card in my jeans pocket.

"You're welcome. Have a great time celebrating Alice's birthday and partying at your friend's wedding!"

"Thanks. Bye!"

Ella waved at me as I hurried out to the bus stop and to a costume shop. I dug up thirty dollars out of my wallet and purchased a Snow White outfit, complete with a wig and makeup. I knew I wouldn't look as pretty as Snow White, but it was worth a try.

I called Carlisle to come and pick me up since I knew that Anne and Renee were decorating the park while Lily watched the kids. I stood outside with my arms crossed over my chest until his black Mercedes pulled up to the curb. He quickly got out of his car and opened my door for me. I got into the passenger seat, thanked him, and closed the door.

"Hey, Esme. How was your meeting?" Carlisle asked as he started the car.

I put my seatbelt on. "It was fine. Ella's nice. But I just want to forget my past. I've moved on. The monster is finished, my mom and my daughter are living with me...my life is perfect. I don't know why I have to go to meetings."

"You tried killing yourself. I just want you to be happy, and going to those meetings will make you feel better. You're not alone."

"Yeah, I know," I muttered.

The truth was that ever since I found out that I might be pregnant, I wanted to stop the baby from growing in my stomach. I couldn't pay for an abortion, so I figured throwing myself down the stairs would destroy the embryo. Too bad I couldn't tell anyone that. I rubbed my soft belly and prayed for a miracle.

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked. "You feeling okay?"

"Just pay attention to the road. I don't want us to get into an accident. It's really annoying when the doctor can't do his job," I snapped. "Sorry, PMS."

"All right," he sighed. We didn't talk for the rest of the way there until he said, "I'm going to change into my magician costume."

I forced myself to smile and show him my Snow White gear. I went into the ladies' room at the park and got dressed. I tied my hair into a bun and slipped the wig with a red bow attached to it over my head. I looked really good with black hair. Maybe I should dye my real hair midnight black. After all, I had wanted to do that ever since I was nine and _he_ sexually harassed me for the first time. I jumped when I heard a knock.

"Um, come on in."

"I'm here to help you with your makeup. You were spending a while in there," Renee said, concerned.

"Yeah, just thinking about shit. I want to try doing my own makeup."

My best friend hugged me and handed me her makeup kit. "Go wild. Remember what I taught you when you were fourteen?"

I nodded. "I can do this. And I'll be doing _your_ makeup for your wedding."

"Thanks, girl."

"You're welcome. Now, skedaddle!" I waved goodbye at her and she left.

My makeup turned out better than I expected. I was also amazed at all the decorations at the park. A white banner with the words, "Happy Birthday Alice!" painted in pink cursive letters was stretched between two trees and the sign was nailed on both sides into the trunks. Brightly colored balloons were tied to the legs of the picnic tables and Alice's friends from my former first grade class were starting to arrive. They looked so adorable. Maggie was Blossom, Bree was Buttercup, and Gianna was Bubbles, all from the Powerpuff Girls. Diego was Mojo Jojo, and Bree was pretending to attack him. I laughed to myself, said hello to my former students, and ran to hug my mom.

"You and Renee did great!" I congratulated her.

"Thank you, baby. And you look beautiful as Snow White. Here comes your Prince Charming. Oh, he looks handsome as a magician."

I gasped and slapped my mom's shoulder with the back of my hand. "Shut up!" She was right, but I was _so_ not interested. Renee giggled until I silenced her with a glare.

"Hi, ladies," he greeted us. "I'm ready to do magic tricks."

My eyes traveled from his black top hat down to his red coat, pants, and brown shoes. I laughed. "You dress well," I tried to compliment him.

"Thank you. So do you."

"Thanks."

Carlisle's phone rang and he held it up to his ear. "Hello? Oh, birthday girl's here!" We scrambled to hide under the picnic tables and behind trees. Lily, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper left Alice by the bushes and joined us.

"Like my dress?" Rosalie asked while spinning around in her Cinderella costume for me.

"It's lovely, sweetie."

"And I'm the beast who turns into a prince! Rawr!" Jasper ripped open his furry costume and revealed a nice prince suit.

"Very nice, Jasper." I smiled down at the both of them as they hugged.

"And Emmett is my pet frog. I have to kiss him to turn him into a prince!" Rosalie giggled.

I rolled my eyes. "Does Emmett want to be a frog? Eeewww!"

"Yes, I do, ma'am," he said politely behind me. I bent down at his level.

"You can call me Esme. You boys look very handsome, and Rosalie, you look like a doll. Now, shhh! We're supposed to be secretive!"

"I'm done playing hide and seek! Where are you?" Alice shouted.

"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled at once. She was shocked. I ran over to her and picked her up.

"Ready to party?" I asked her.

"Yes, Mama! Thank you! Oooh, you're Snow White! And I'm Belle!"

"That's right!" I twirled her around and Mom started playing kid-friendly music out of a stereo she bought with her. The children played on the swing sets and then everyone had a picnic of potato tacos that Carlisle made.

While they ate, Carlisle stood up and did his magic tricks. He pulled a quarter out of Alice's ear and showed off a bunch of colored scarves that he took out of his coat pocket. I had no idea how he did that crap. He was so talented! The card tricks were awesome as well.

After a few hours of the kids entertaining themselves and enjoying the fact that I was the "real Snow White", we had chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. My mom made it and Renee put "Happy Birthday, Alice!" in pink icing on top of the cake, along with seven burning candles. Alice stood in front of her cake while her guests sang happy birthday to her. We all cheered when she blew out all the candles. My mom, Renee, Lily, Carlisle, and I served everyone. It was really tasty.

"Hey, you got something..." Carlisle pointed to the side of his mouth.

"Sorry," I apologized as I licked my lips free of crumbs. "Is it gone now?"

"Yep! Oh, this is so good! It's my favorite kind of cake."

"I'm the opposite of you, then. I love white cake and white frosting."

"Cool."

He started to talk to me some more, but Alice called out, "Present time!"

"Me first!" Jasper said excitedly while he ran up to her. She hadn't even sat down yet! He handed her a badly-wrapped gift. Oh well, he was a child. They do that.

When Alice tore open her present, her face lit up with happiness. She kissed him on the cheek and everyone said, "Awwwwww!"

We spent the rest of the day taking pictures, watching Alice open the rest of her presents, and relaxing while the kids played. One party down, one more to go.

My week went by so fast that before I knew it, I was buying my maid of honor dress and dressing up for Renee's bachelorette party. I got my ears pierced, nails done, and makeup done, but now, I was having trouble finding a good outfit for a rave. The sexiest outfit I owned was a pair of skinny jeans and a purple tank top. Oh well, that would do. My mom was the coordinator of the whole thing, so she planned the rave and invited all of Renee's friends. Alice went to Rosalie's house for the night where their babysitter, Crystal, would be watching them, and I wouldn't see her until Renee's wedding.

"What do I do at a rave?" I asked Carmen while my mom drove us to the Twilight Lounge. "The last time I was here..." I shuddered just thinking about it.

"Well, we'll be looking out for you. Anne made sure the _female _bartender only let in us girls for our private party. It's closed to everyone else. You have nothing to worry about, Esme. Absolutely nothing."

I smiled at her words and I was glad she was correct. I ended up loving the taste of a strawberry margarita and the way I danced crazily without a care in the world. I was grinding my girls, Renee was spinning me around, and she even crowd-surfed while we had our hands up. The music was so cool and the lights spun rainbows all around the dance floor. A few hours later, I started feeling dizzy, vomited, and fell asleep in some bed. The erotic dreams about Carlisle started. He was doing all kinds of sexy things to me, things that I wouldn't imagine myself wanting from him or anyone else. Oh god, I was passed out drunk. No wonder. My lady parts were wet and I woke up massaging my own breasts under the sheets. I moaned in ecstasy and then in pain as I experienced my first hangover.

"You partied hard last night, girl," Renee commented as she held an ice pack to my forehead. "Please don't be sick for my wedding."

I was half asleep as I murmured, "He was doing wonderful things to my vagina..."

She slapped me across the face. "The hell?"

"Oh, sorry! Thank you for that...damn, I feel so bad..."

"I had to hear about your fantasies while you were boozed up!" she groaned.

"That makes us even...you let Charles abuse me and I let you hear how much I wanted Carlisle to fuck me while I was unconcious. Shit happens."

"Yeah, you're right. You're lucky we love each other."

"I know. I hope this passes."

Thankfully, my hangover wore after I took my antidepressants, Advil, lots of water, and two breakfasts at the hotel we were at. I finally came to and apologized, "I'm sorry, girls. Should we start getting ready?"

"Yes," everyone mumbled. My mom took Renee, Lily, Carmen, and me to get changed at Renee's house.

"Don't worry about it, Esme. I'm sure Carlisle got wasted too," Lily said.

"But you guys didn't!" I complained. "I was so irresponsible."

"You had every right to be. Just go get dressed," Mom told me.

After I had my hair in tight curls and makeup plastered to my face, I was almost finished. All I had to do was put on some jewelry to go with my hot pink dress. I gave Renee a makeover and Mom helped her into her dress.

"Hey, girls!" Renee shouted, and our friends ran to her room. Mom was zipping up her long white gown in the back. She looked really pretty.

"Charlie is going to die when he sees you!" I squealed.

"I'll make sure he doesn't see you until the wedding. That's bad news, you know," Carmen added.

"Yeah, yeah," Renee laughed and put on her veil. "Is it almost time?"

Mom checked her watch. "Yes, darling. Here's something old." She did a fancy spin and looped her arm through Renee's. "I'll be walking down the aisle with you."

"Oh, no, you don't have to..."

"I can't let you go alone. After all that you've done, and are still doing for my Ezzie pie, this is my way of thanking you."

They shared a hug and then Renee wiped her eyes free of tears.

"Hey, no crying on your wedding day!" Carmen scolded her. Everyone giggled.

"Something new," I said and handed her a flower bouquet I'd bought.

"Thanks, Ez."

"Something borrowed." Lily took off her bracelet and lent it to the bride.

"Thank you. Ah, well, I have all the requirements, then! My toenails and fingernails are painted blue! Let's go!" Renee cheered and pulled me in for a one-armed hug.

She was having a backyard wedding, apparently, because I heard the Wedding March being played outside. Our high heels plunked on the hardwood floors as we walked out the door. Her yard was so beautiful and the perfect place for a wedding. I held her train and practically glided on the white carpet behind my mom and Renee. Charlie was at the end of the aisle, along with his best man, Carlisle, his groomsmen, Will, Billy and Harry, and the priest, Eleazar. I made sure Renee's other bridesmaids, Elizabeth, Carmen, Lily, and Sue, were following us. There was another Native American woman, but I wasn't sure what her name was. She later introduced herself to me as Sarah, Billy's wife. Rosalie was so cute as a flower girl, and Jasper made an adorable ring bearer.

The vows went smoothly and everyone clapped as Renee made out with her new husband for the second time. The speeches were great and the dance was, well, romantic. I was so happy for my best friend and I was full-out giggling when she tossed the bouquet. I almost tripped in my heels when I caught it.

"I guess you're getting married next, Esme!" Renee predicted as I tried to steady myself.

I laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, right!" The thought actually thrilled me, but scared me at the same time. I really wasn't ready to settle down with anyone! I just got my life back!

I sat down during the wedding party. We ate cake, drank, and after that, the evening was sort of a blur. I danced with my daughter and my mom while the other couples ground each other. Later on, Carlisle asked me to dance as friends, so I accepted. Since it was a slow dance, though, I felt awkward, but also excited. I had never really slow danced with anyone. He must have noticed my tension, because he told me not to be nervous. I put my arms around his neck and he put his hands on my waist. We moved together and I tried not to step on his toes.

"I never got a chance to tell you, but you're beautiful in that dress."

His compliment made my cheeks get hot. I shook my head and rested against his shoulder. Carlisle held me closer and we rocked to a steady, soft beat. I felt him stroking my hair. Why was I letting him do this to me? I must have taken my antidepressants. This wasn't the real me. I felt too fake.

"I know I'm calm in your arms, but I'm on antidepressants. That's like someone being on drugs. I don't want to snap at you," I said guiltily. "I know you're not taking advantage of me, but are you sure we're just dancing as friends?"

"Yes, I'm positive. We don't have to do anything else if you aren't ready."

"Thanks...I like this feeling...we're both relaxed and quiet..." I was so tired that I yawned and practically fell asleep on him. The song ended, so we separated.

For some reason, I felt lonely without him now.

What in God's name was wrong with me?

**Thank you for reading&reviewing:CarlisleandEsme,Msoxcookie,TeamCarlisleandEsme8,TeamCullenx,TheMortician'sDaughter, K.K. Fush,that kiwi chick,Just4Me&May Potter!**


	25. Sunny Days

**Thank you to my beta&prereader, K.K. Fush&TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Carlisle POV:

April turned into May as Esme and I became closer and reconnected. She seemed much happier ever since she started going to those meetings. However, she was still hesitant to kiss me. The days went from chilly to warm enough to wear jeans and a t-shirt, so I called her to invite her and Alice to the park. Her mom answered the phone.

"Hi, Anne. May I please speak to Esme?"

"Certainly. Hold on, Carlisle."

I waited until Esme got to the phone and answered, "Hello?"

"Hi, Esme, how are you doing?" I asked her.

"Fine, thank you. What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you and Alice want to go to the park today. I'm thinking of us having a picnic and I'm going to bring Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie along so Alice has her friends to play with."

"That sounds fun!" she exclaimed.

"I know. I can pick you up, if you want."

"Yeah, sure, that'd be great."

"See you soon. I'm making rice!"

"And I'm about to bake chocolate chip cookies as our dessert! Bye!"

"Goodbye."

When I hung up the phone, I started preparing our meal and then I put it into a plastic bowl. I looked out the window and saw that Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were riding their bikes around the neighborhood and playing basketball on our basketball court. A while later, they came inside the house.

"Hey, guys, let's go to the park!" I announced.

"Can we bring our bikes and the basketball?" Emmett asked.

"Can my best friend Alice come?" Rosalie added.

"Can I teach her how to ride my bike?" Jasper put in.

I laughed. "Yes, to all three of your questions. That reminds me, I'll bring my bike too and let Esme ride it!"

"Yay!" the kids cheered. I strapped all four of our bikes onto the top of my Mercedes, threw the basketball in the trunk, and we got in.

"Make room for Alice, you three. Esme's sitting up here with me."

It didn't take long for me to get to her house. I exited the driver's seat and practically ran to her front door. I couldn't wait to see her again, as I hadn't seen her for days. When I rang the doorbell and knocked a few times, I saw Alice frantically jumping up and down to try to get the door. Esme finally came and opened it for me a few minutes later. She smiled at me with a blanket draped over her arm and held out her plate of cookies. She had on jeans and a cute pink top. Her hair was half up with strands hanging down across her forehead.

"They look good."

"Thanks. Come on, baby." Esme looked down at Alice and took her hand.

"Okay, Mommy. Hi, Carlisle," the little girl greeted me.

"Hey, Alice. Your friends are in my backseat."

"Awesome!" She ran to join them and I opened the passenger door for Esme.

"After you."

She slipped in without a word. I closed her door, went to my side, and sat behind the wheel. I turned on some music while I drove us to the park.

The kids scrambled out and went for their bikes. I grabbed the rice, my bike, and the basketball.

"Alice, do you mind holding this?" I asked and showed her the rice. "I have too much to carry and your mom's got her hands full with those cookies and the blanket."

"Sure." She shrugged.

"So, why did you bring your bike?" Esme wanted to know.

"Because after our picnic, I wanted you to go for a ride on my bike."

"Oh, no, I don't know how to ride...I'll fall off and die!"

"I can hold it for you."

"Okay, after we eat," she agreed.

We stopped under a tree that was near where the kids were playing and shared my rice using two plastic plates I'd also brought. I gave her a spoon and let her start eating first before I got my own spoon out.

"Mmmm, this is tasty!" she complimented me. "You're such a good cook."

"Thank you."

We sat and ate while we watched our children and the Hales. Next were the cookies. I wolfed half of them down and let Esme have the rest. "Those were great!"

"Now, I have to burn off all this fat," she sighed.

"Hey, you're not fat," I protested.

"Says you," she smirked at me and then got up. "I'm going to push Alice on the swings."

I leaned back on my elbows and enjoyed seeing her have fun with her daughter. Alice was flying high in the air, and so was Rosalie.

I rode my bike around the park a few minutes later and made sure the boys didn't fall off their bikes. Esme was watching us with her hand shading her face. She waved as I passed her. Alice and Rosalie were playing hopscotch and she joined them for a few minutes. Then, she sat on the swings and her feet traced patterns in the sand. I braked my bike and leaned it against the tree we ate our lunch at.

"Want me to push you?"

She looked over her shoulder at me. "Okay."

I wrapped my hands around the chains below where hers were and started pushing her back and forth. "Is that good enough?"

"Higher!" she shouted.

I pulled her back even farther and let her go.

"Whoo-hoo!" she giggled and kicked her feet in the air adorably.

"Are you having fun?"

"Yes! I love this!"

When the swing slowed down, she jumped off the seat and landed perfectly on her feet.

"Can I ride your bike now?"

"Of course. Come on." I led her to my bike and helped her on. She started pedaling slowly as I rode her around the park.

"Wow, this is a good workout! Now, I want to get off!" She was panting hard ten minutes later. I chuckled and let her off the seat. "My butt was too big for that seat!"

"So is mine. Hey, do you want to play basketball?" I pointed to where Emmett and Rosalie were playing while Jasper let Alice ride his bike with his assistance.

"I'm not very good. I suck." Esme looked at the ground and bit her lip.

"That's okay, I can teach you."

Emmett shot the ball in the hoop and pumped his fists in the air. "Slam dunk!"

"Way to go, monkey man!" Rosalie cried.

He flexed his barely-there biceps and tossed her the ball. She threw it into the basket and did some cheerleader move.

"Alright, Michael Jordan, Lisa Leslie, let us have a chance to play!" I said. They laughed and gave me the ball. I bounced it a few times and put it in Esme's hands. "Kids, go play with Alice and Jasper," I instructed Rosalie and Emmett.

They scampered away from us and I guided Esme to the basket. "Okay, you wanna try to get this ball into that hoop."

She let it drop to the ground and quickly picked it back up. She tried to throw it into the hoop with her hands over her head, but it bounced off the rim and she sighed. "I'm sorry."

I chased after it as it rolled away. "That's okay, Esme. I can teach you." I caught the ball and brought it back to her. This time, I stood directly behind her and grasped the ball with both my hands. My arms were touching hers as we both lifted the ball and shot it in.

"You did that, mostly."

"Give yourself some credit. Aim for the square in the middle of the backboard," I instructed her. "Bend your knees just a little bit, and then jump!"

After a few tries, she finally got a basket. "She shoots, she scores!" I hollered and rushed over to her. She was giggling while I picked her up and spun her around. "That's my girl!"

"I'm not that much of a superstar...you're better."

"Practice makes perfect," I insisted.

The chiming of an ice cream truck made itself known and the kids started running for it, singing, "Ice cream, ice cream, I scream for ice cream!" Esme looked at the scene wistfully.

"Do you want ice cream too?" I asked her.

"Sure, but I don't have any money."

"Neither do the children, but I do. My wallet's in my pocket..." I fished around in my wallet and found ten one dollar bills. "Perfect."

The truck stopped and the kids stood in line. We were behind them. I gave them two dollars each and kept four dollars for Esme and myself.

"Thanks!" the children chorused. They got different flavored ice cream cones, but Esme got an ice cream sandwich and I got a drumstick. We ate our ice creams in the shade under the tree.

As the sky got darker, I decided it was time for us to go home. Everyone packed up their things and loaded them into my car. Alice held Esme's hand and reached for mine as she walked in between us. "Can you guys swing me?"

We agreed and lifted her up. "Whee!" she squealed and then ran away with her friends. Our hands bumped and suddenly, I decided Alice was being very clever in trying to get us back together again. I didn't want to make Esme feel uncomfortable, so I kept my hand far away from hers. I saw that sneaky little girl looking back at us and when she saw that we weren't holding hands, she was disappointed.

"You can hold my hand if you want...we just can't be intimate," Esme said softly.

"Do you want me to, though?"

"Alice wants us together. She tells me that every day...I want to make her happy. And I feel like you deserve to have your hand held."

"Just do whatever makes you feel comfortable."

"Holding hands is a good step in the right direction. At least, that's what Ella told me." She held out her hand and I put my hand in hers. I squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. How have your meetings with Ella been going?"

"Great. I met another girl who was sexually harassed. She was from my previous therapy group and her name is Michelle. She and Ella have both been sexually harassed by old disabled men when they were minors. They asked Michelle's parents for her phone number, called her three times until she had to change her number, and tried to put sunscreen on Ella's back once. They've asked the girls to dance before. It was really gross, but it's nice to know that there are others out there who know my pain."

"I'm glad they're helping you recover from this. I know it's not easy coming from such a dark past."

"No, it's not."

Her hair blew softly in the wind and she got some of her bangs in her eyes, so I pushed them out of the way. She batted her eyes and I couldn't stop staring at her. She looked so pretty.

"What?" she half asked, half giggled.

"It's your beauty."

"Oh...just drive me home."

I shook my head. I could tell she liked me.

The next day was extremely hot, so we took Emmett and Alice swimming. I put on my black sweats over my orange swim trunks and drove myself and Emmett to Esme's house to pick her and Alice up. The Hale twins weren't coming since their parents were taking them to Seattle for the day. Esme must have heard my car coming into her driveway since she was already out there with Alice. She had a pink strapless sundress on, a big white hat, and sunglasses. Alice was wearing a blue sundress, a black baseball cap, and sunglasses.

"Hi," Esme greeted me as she got in the car next to me. Alice climbed into the backseat with Emmett. They were already talking a mile a minute.

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm great. Alice and I just bought this swim stuff last night, when you invited us. We have literally nothing. Just the same crap we've been wearing all of our lives."

"Well, you two look fantastic."

I heard Emmett whispering in Alice's ear, but chose to ignore it. Secrets were secrets. When we finally got to the pool, I got out sunscreen for all of us to use. Alice and Esme went to the bathroom to put theirs on that they'd bought with them, and Emmett and I shared my sunscreen.

"So, Dad, I bet you were wishing you could put sunscreen on Esme, huh?" my son asked as I did his back.

"I want to do more than just put sunscreen on her," I muttered to myself so he couldn't hear me.

"Just marry her already, Dad!"

"I will when she feels comfortable with it."

Esme came out of the bathroom with Alice in tow. "Can we do each other's backs? I get bad sunburns around my shoulders and back."

She had on the cutest tankini. It was black with a green lining and pink and white flower patterns. The way she walked made her chest bounce up and down. God, she was so sexy.

Emmett wiggled his eyebrows at me, so I pushed him away playfully. "Go hang out with Alice, son."

Thankfully, they both let us be. I squirted some lotion on my palm and started rubbing it into her skin. My hands went all around her shoulders, a little bit down her arms, and thoroughly on her back. I was well aware of her back pressing into my naked chest and I had to suppress the urge to lift up her top and...

"Carlisle, I didn't ask for a back rub. I think it's my turn to put suntan lotion on your back."

"Oh!" I shook my head. "Sorry, Esme. Go ahead." I turned around, very embarrassed, and let her do my back and shoulders. She stood on her tiptoes and I felt her warm, soft hands spreading the lotion around my scalding skin. I enjoyed her touching me a little too much and felt my shorts get tight.

"Is that good?" she asked when I didn't say anything. I turned around to face her.

"Yes, thank you, Esme. Thank you."

She looked at me weirdly. "You're, um, very welcome. Well, now our hands are all oily..."

"You can rinse your hands in the pool. Ready to go swimming?"

"You go. I just want to lay in the sun." She grabbed my hand. "Maybe I'll put my legs in the pool since it's sweltering."

I wiped the sweat off my forehead. "You look great in that suit."

"Thanks. You look good in yours, as well."

Esme giggled. "Are we flirting?"

I shrugged. "If you want us to be."

"Can you do a cannonball in the pool?"

Because I was so mesmerized by her, because I would do anything for her, and because I was excellent at cannonballs, I agreed. I jumped up, wrapped my arms around my knees, and splashed into the water. She cheered and ran around to the edge of the pool where I surfaced. Once Emmett saw me, he swam over and got on my back. Esme laughed out loud.

"I've been teaching myself how to swim," Alice announced. "It's quite easy to float now. Emmett was helping me for like five minutes."

"You're a pure genius!" Emmett told her.

"Thanks! Mommy, come on in the pool!"

Esme sat down and dipped her feet in. "Ooh, this feels nice. I'd rather just watch you guys play in the water." She folded her hands in her lap and looked down.

Emmett and Alice ran out of the pool and went up to the diving board. They were fighting over who was going to go first, and then they dove in together.

"Be careful!" Esme exclaimed.

I did a few strokes in front of her and tapped her thighs. "Come on in, the water's fine!"

She kicked her legs at me. "I can't swim! I'm sorry! God, I'm so humiliated..." She put her face in her hands.

"Hey, it's okay...I'll give you some lessons..."

"I'm afraid to get in there...can we go in the shallow end?"

"Sure." I swam to the stairs as she walked down them unsteadily, holding onto the rail. Esme cautiously sat on the bottom stair with the water up to her tummy. She held her knees close to her chest.

"Don't let me drown."

"I would never."

"You promise?"

"With all my heart. Now, the first step in learning how to swim is floating. Let's both walk until the water is up to your shoulders."

"Okay," she agreed.

I held her hand and we both waded through the water.

"Turn around, I'll hold you up at first. Go on your back, please."

I held her back up with one arm and her legs hooked over the other arm. She was breathing slowly as we moved through the water together. I let her go to see if she would float after about five minutes. She did, but then she shrieked and flailed her limbs as she went under. I grabbed her and held her back up. "I got you, don't worry..."

"Don't do that or I can't trust you!"

"Okay, sorry...now let's go back to the shallow end and practice some strokes. Freestyle and breaststroke are really easy." I demonstrated them for her and she copied me.

"You're right, that was fine."

"Now...kicking. Hold onto the edge of the pool and just kick. You're doing great! Let's tread water."

She dog-paddled with my hands on her waist. "I'm doing it!"

"Yes, you are! Do you want to do a few strokes in the shallow end?"

"Okay," she mumbled uncertainly.

I watched her to make sure she wouldn't drown. She was keeping her head above the water, but still doing the strokes. It was a good start. I would save teaching her backstroke another time. She swam to me quickly and grasped my arms.

"What happened? You did so well. I'm proud of you!"

"I just got a little nervous. Can you hold me? I want to be in the deep end." Esme looked at me with both fear and excitement in her eyes.

I nodded and scooped her up. "Yes."

When we got further into the pool, she whimpered, so I held her tighter against me. Alice swam through the small space between us. "Please kiss my cheeks!"

Esme smiled and puckered her lips to kiss her daughter. I did the same, but then Alice bent her head down and let out a loud sneeze. Emmett hollered and whooped a few feet away from us. My lips touched Esme's before I could stop myself. I pulled away from her immediately.

"Oh my..." she whispered.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know she would..." I started to apologize.

"It's fine, really." She blushed, but I saw it before she hid it with her hair.

"You're a good kisser."

I was gazing into her eyes as we swayed in the water. Esme threw back her head and laughed. "Are you actually dancing with me?"

"Yes, I enjoy dancing with you."

I couldn't stop looking at her. The drops of water on her skin, her wet hair all around her face, the way she hooked her arms around my neck and wrapped her legs around my waist...she turned me on completely. And we weren't even an official couple yet.

"So, why are you so comfortable being so close to me now?"

"Ella taught me how to conquer my fear of men. She said if you never hurt me before, you won't now. I do want to be your girlfriend, but I want to be your best friend too."

"That woman sounds like a great counselor for you, then."

"Yeah, she's also one of my good friends. She said even the best couples go through hard times and she has often had to lecture her boyfriend, well now, her husband. But when they were dating, he made many mistakes, so much more than you have made with me. They are now a happy married couple with a little girl."

"I let you get abused. That was inexcusable. I'll never forgive myself for that."

"Consider us even, then. I was psycho and scared you to death multiple times."

"But you said that you're thirteen emotionally. I'm twenty-four on all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and intellectual."

"I think I'm actually growing up. Having my family back has really helped me, and I have a strong group of friends, like you, Renee, and my friends in my office at school. Of course, my counselor has been telling me that I need a protector and I know you'll always save me."

"She's right," I murmured and touched her cheek lightly. "I will." I dipped her and the water collected her hair so it swirled around. She pulled herself up to my chest again and wet her face. "So, Mother's Day is coming up...anything special you want to do for it?"

"I want to take Alice and Emmett to a movie," Esme decided. "Well, they would take me to the movies. For my mom, I'll take her to lunch."

"But Emmett isn't your son."

"I just want to get to know him better. All that I've really talked to him about is the chocolate cake incident with the asshole. You know those rules about I couldn't talk to other guys?"

"Yeah? Go on."

"It all started when _he_ saw me talking to Emmett. _He_ accused me of being a pedophile and hitting on him!" Esme glared at the water. "I would never! I wouldn't dare do that to an innocent little boy or any child, for that matter!"

"I know, I know..." I calmed her down by massaging her shoulders. "You're innocent."

"_He _called your son a bastard child."

"But he is one technically," I let her know.

"It's a rude name to call him!"

"Well, _he_'s gone now. Don't you fear, he's buried down in Hell."

"Yeah, I know...but sometimes, I get nightmares of _him_ pulling me under..."

"Hey, hey, that'll never happen. I assure you."

"You're so good to me." Esme laid her head down on my shoulder and I cradled her to my chest.

"I'll always be good to you. You deserve it."

It was getting cooler, so we all decided to leave the pool. All of a sudden, I remembered my camera was in my swim bag. There was a guy walking by, so I asked him to take a picture of the four of us.

"Sure, man," he said and I showed him how to use my camera. He held it up and I posed with Esme, my son, and Alice.

I put my arms around Esme and Emmett while Alice hugged Esme's legs. We smiled when the guy directed us, "Say cheese!"

"Cheese!" we shouted in unison and then he handed me back my camera.

"You guys...nice family you got there." My heart skipped a beat when nobody bothered to correct him.

"Actually, we're just-" Emmett began, but I interrupted him by thanking the man and shaking his hand.

"Shh!" Esme scolded Emmett.

"That's cool that the guy thought we were a family!" Alice laughed and skipped to my car after we all got changed.

"We looked like one," Esme added.

"We _are_ one," I corrected her and she beamed.

"Really?" Emmett asked.

"Well, sure! Esme and I are like your parents, in a way."

"Okay, I'll give you that, Dad."

"Thank you, son. Okay, who wants to go out for Mexican food?"

"Me!" Alice and Emmett called out and raised their hands.

"I do." Esme held up her hand timidly.

"Dinner's on me," I told them. "What does everyone want?"

"A vegetarian burrito, complete with refried beans, rice, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole," Esme said first.

"Oh, yummy! I would love that too!" Alice squealed.

"I want a chicken and rice burrito along with salsa!" Emmett put in.

"I'll have the same thing, but with hot sauce, not salsa," I said. "All right, keep your orders in mind. We're almost there." I drove us to a restaurant that allowed children. I went up to the counter and the woman asked, "How many?"

"Four. Two children under twelve, two adults."

"Right this way, ladies and gents."

We followed her to a table in the back and it wasn't long before we got our food and began to chow down. Everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves and I was fine sitting across from Esme. We had to stop Emmett and Alice from kicking each other under the table quite a few times. Those were the moments where I really felt like Alice was my daughter and Emmett was Esme's son. Esme and I shared a knowing smile. When the kids were busy killing each other and giving each other wet willies, I leaned across the table and asked, "Our children really love each other, don't they?"

"Oh, yeah...the joys of parenthood..." She rolled her eyes. "But they're wonderful, all the same. When they grow up, you will miss these playful moments."

"You're right." Some rice spilled out of my burrito and Esme picked up one of her chips.

"You mind?" She looked at me as she scooped up the fallen rice with it.

"Rice with chips?" I asked doubtfully.

Esme shrugged. "It's good."

I offered another bite to her and she opened her mouth. I simply put it in there and avoided being bitten.

"Mmm, that was delicious! Here, try some of mine." She cut off a piece of her burrito and put it on my plate.

I threw it in my mouth, all in one bite.

"Eeewww, gross! Carlisle! You're a pig, that was supposed to be three bites!"

The children took one look at me and laughed. Emmett gave me a thumbs up and Alice shook her head. "Men..." she groaned. "Mommy, how do you deal with him?"

"I have no idea, but I manage." Esme lovingly ruffled her daughter's hair. "You're going to have to deal with that from Jasper one day."

Alice went bright red and Emmett pointed at her. "Ohhh!"

"What 'ohhh'?" She blew a raspberry at him.

"You like Jasper!" he sang.

"Emmett and Rosalie, sitting in a tree!" Alice started.

"Alice!" he whined.

"Watch it, I can make your dessert land on your head."

"You wouldn't dare!"

I had enough of their bantering. They were becoming too loud. "Alright, calm down, you guys."

"I just love this brother and sister humor. I never get to hear it," Esme chuckled. "Well, that was enough for me."

"I've heard and seen it forever. Drives me crazy!" I gave Emmett a noogie and Alice cracked up.

**Thank you to readers&reviewers TeamCarlisleandEsme8, CarlisleandEsme, TeamCullenx, K.K. Fush, Msoxcookie, Just4Me, and that kiwi chick!**


	26. Secrecy

**Thanks for beta'ing and prereading, K.K. Fush and TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Esme POV

"You've been doing very well, Esme," Ella complimented me at our sixth meeting. "From wanting to kill yourself to realizing that all relationships aren't perfect, you have come very far. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you. Your stories have helped me. Even though you guys didn't have it as bad as I did, you're still scarred like I am. Congratulations on healing."

"Thanks! And you will too..." she trailed off as a song played in the background. It had a pretty good beat and I tapped my foot along with the lyrics.

"What's that song called?" I asked her.

"Oh, 'Runaway Love' by Ludacris and Mary J. Blige. I'll turn it up." The volume increased and I heard the lyrics much better.

_...Lisa's stuck up in a world on her own_  
><em>Forced to think that Hell is a place called home<em>  
><em>Nothin' else to do but get some clothes and pack<em>  
><em>She says she's 'bout to run away and never come back<em>

_Little Nicole is only ten years old_  
><em>She's steady tryin' to figure why the world is so cold<em>  
><em>Why she's not pretty and nobody seems to like her<em>  
><em>Alcoholic step-dad always wanna strike her<em>

_Yells and abuses, leaves her with some bruises_  
><em>Teachers ask questions, she's makin' up excuses<em>  
><em>Bleedin' on the inside, cryin' on the out<em>  
><em>It's only one girl really knows what she's about...<em>

Ella paused the music. "I just played those specific verses for you because it seemed to describe your childhood perfectly, did it not?"

I nodded. "Yes. By the way, I think I have something growing inside of me," I groaned. "See, when I was raped like a few months ago, they stuck it in me. I don't even know who the father is!"

"Well, that's common when women get gang raped, they can become pregnant and not know who the father is. When did you have your last period?"

"They raped me while I was on my period...so I guess, the last time I remember having it was the end of Feburary."

Ella whistled slowly. "That's a long time without having a period. Did you go to a doctor yet about it?"

"I don't want to face the truth," I admitted. "I already have one child by incest and rape...now, gang rape? Poor kid. The mother got knocked up, the first time by her uncle, and the second time, by some assholes she doesn't even know. It's a fucked-up situation, Ella. It really is."

"Yeah, I understand that." She gave me a hug. "You don't really look pregnant, though."

"My fat hides it! I won't start showing for a long ass time! I have all the symptoms, so I'm pretty sure that I'm pregnant. I've tested positive every time."

"Then there you go. You can let people know about your baby when you're ready."

"I know."

The timer dinged, which meant our session was over. I picked up my purse, said goodbye to Ella, and left for home.

I slipped in the house quietly and snuck into the bathroom before anyone could see me. I looked at myself in the mirror while lifting up my top. There was a slight bulge which was definitely not belly fat. It was firm and I was probably about nine weeks pregnant. I needed to get ahold of a gynecologist and fast!

"Mom!"

"Esme!" She joined me in the bathroom. "Oh, well look at that..." I felt her hand on my stomach. "Hi, baby...see you in about seven months."

I smiled when she talked to the little one inside me. "Do you know of any good gynecologists?"

"You can just use mine. How many weeks along are you?"

"I would say maybe nine."

"Alright, I'll call her." I heard her on the phone and then she reported to me, "They can see you in the next hour. Come on, I'll drive you. Alice is at Emmett's house."

I followed her out the door and she took me to her gynecologist. We stopped at the receptionist's desk and she asked to see a Dr. Young. I recognized her as Emily's mom.

"Joanne, I didn't know you were my mom's gynecologist!" I exclaimed, surprised.

She laughed. "And I didn't know the principal's mom was my patient. Oh, gotta be professional. Follow me."

Dr. Young led us to her office and I sat on the cot. "So, your mom says you're pregnant."

I nodded. "Since March 2nd, I guess. I kept missing my period, feeling sick, and eating too much."

"Well, do you want to see your baby?"

"Okay."

She showed me the fetus in my belly via an ultrasound. I felt cold gel being rubbed all over my belly. As Dr. Young looked at the sonogram, she declared, "Well, he, or she, is kicking...you may not be able to feel it until you've been pregnant for sixteen to twenty-two weeks, but it's kicking in the ultrasound. It's a little over an inch long. You can see your baby slowly developing, there's its fingers and eyes. Your predicted due date is December 20th."

"Cool!" I tried to sound enthusiastic about it, but I just hated how I got this baby inside of me. "Thank you."

"No problem," she said warmly and then bid us goodbye. "Have a good Mother's Day tomorrow."

"Thanks," we said and waved back at her.

Now that it was official that I was pregnant, my clothes were starting to feel too tight on me. My mom and I went shopping for maternity wear and I felt much more comfortable in them when I tried them on.

"Oh God..." I blew out a huge breath while I ran my fingers through my hair. "I'm pregnant by horny bastards again!"

"Oh, honey, I wish I could make it better..." Mom said sympathetically.

"Whatever, what's done is done. I just have to move on," I said sourly.

"That's right, sweetheart."

I called all my friends and told them that I was pregnant. Naturally, they were excited for me, so I pretended that I got the baby from a sperm bank. I didn't want to think about who gave me my baby. I wanted to love my baby without regrets. The only friend I didn't tell about my pregnancy was Carlisle. I couldn't let him know. Single guys don't think pregnant women are attractive.

After eating dinner with my mom, Carlisle dropped off Alice, but I kept my distance from him. Alice ran to where I was hiding and hugged my legs.

"Ma-" I put my hand over her mouth and shushed her. "What's wrong?" she asked through my fingers as I took her upstairs in my room. "Emmett and I figured out something to do with you for Mother's Day. We want to go out for lunch at Subway. We'll buy you lunch!" She leaned against my belly and jumped when she felt the bump. I didn't blame her. It was huge and embarrassing.

"Oh, no, you guys don't have to pay for me! But thanks for taking me out."

"Actually, Emmett's daddy is paying for us. Do you like Carlisle, Mama?"

I bit my lip and chewed on it. "I don't know if we should be having this discussion."

"But he's paying for yours and Grandma's meals! Shh, don't tell Grandma, she's invited to Subway as well."

"I should be paying for Grandma's meal, I'm her daughter." I insisted. "But tell Carlisle thank you. I mean, Emmett's father."

Alice giggled quietly. "It's okay, Mama, you can call him by his name. He says your name _a lot_."

"So?"

"That means he likes you." She tapped her palm against her forehead. "Duh!"

"Okay, miss teenager in a child's body. You've proven yourself mature enough to know that I do like him and I am pregnant," I said the confessions so quickly that I was shocked she understood the both of them. Her eyes widened.

"Emmett's gonna love hearing that!"

"You're going to keep that a secret. Promise?"

"The crush on his dad or the baby in your belly?"

"Both. Please, darling. Pinkie promise?" I held out my pinkie finger.

"Aw, really, Mama?" She hooked her finger with mine anyway. "All right, who else knows?"

"Well, all my girlfriends know I'm pregnant, and so does Grandma. I've just told you and Grandma that I have a crush on Carlisle. My friends wouldn't leave me alone about it if I told them. I'm waiting until it's official."

"Wow, that's cool." She bent down to my stomach's level and said, "Hi there, I'm gonna be your big sister."

I stroked Alice's hair. "You'll be the best big sister in the world, baby."

"I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Alice."

We hugged each other and slept like that until the next morning. I felt something shifting against me and I jumped.

"Oh, sweetie, I forgot you were there," I mumbled and kissed the top of her head.

"Good morning, Mama, happy mother's day!" My daughter gave me a huge hug and I squeezed her against my chest. I ruffled her black hair.

"Thanks, honey." I stretched and yawned. "Now, I'm going to wish my own mom a happy mother's day." We both shuffled to my mom's room and she was still sleeping. Alice jumped on the bed and I rushed to my mom's side.

"Sorry about the rough wakeup call, Mom. Happy Mother's Day."

Mom sat up and gave us both hugs. "Thank you, dear. I don't mind being woken up in a crazy way by my granddaughter." She kissed Alice's forehead and my cheek.

Alice was nice enough to make us breakfast in bed. I sat next to my mom and we ate chocolate chip-banana-blueberry pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream on top. I swear, that girl was talented. She could already use a stove without getting herself burnt. It was nice to have a little genius in the family.

We got ourselves ready for the day and Mom drove us to where Emmett lived. Alice ran out to get him.

"So, you consider Emmett as one of your kids?" Mom asked me.

"Well, sure. He's Carlisle's son. I like Carlisle, so for sure, I would want to treat his son like one of my own children."

"That's nice."

Alice and Emmett rushed into the backseat.

"We're ready!" Alice said cheerfully as Emmett handed us each five dollars.

"Courtesy of my dad," he announced.

"Thanks, buddy," I said while taking the money and stuffing it in my purse. Mom parked outside the fast food place and we followed her inside.

Alice and Emmett got pizza subs, with spaghetti sauce, pieces of pepperoni, cheddar cheese, and hamburger meat on sourdough bread. I got a simple ham and cheese sandwich on French bread, and my mom got a bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich on rye bread. We sat down at a small square table and started eating. When we were finished, Alice started squirming in her seat.

"Do you have to go to the potty?" Mom asked in a hushed whisper. Alice nodded, and Mom took her to the restroom.

Now, it was just Emmett and I sitting at the table. Well, this was awkward. Not that I didn't like him, but I had a crush on his father. He was picking at the remains of his sandwich while I wrapped my garbage up and threw it away.

"Hey, Esme..." he started.

"Mmm?" I looked up at him.

"Happy Mother's Day. I know you're not my mom, but I don't really know who my mom is...I guess she left us. I've never said that before, so I hope you don't mind me saying it to you."

"It's fine, Em, don't worry about it. I _am_ a mother, after all. Thank you. I'm enjoying my time with you guys." I kept my mouth shut about the fact that I knew his mother was also Carlisle's mother. That was a smart move on my part. He was too young to know and I felt so bad for him. His mother was just like Alice's father. I shuddered at my thoughts. When nobody said anything, it was a weird silence until he spoke again.

"Are you afraid of my dad? Is that why you won't date him?"

I jumped and focused on my nails. "Umm...you know, Em, your father's very nice, but I guess I'm not ready for any romantic relationship right now. I don't know if Alice or your father told you my story before, but let's just say it's not very pretty. Long story short, I don't trust men anymore. I was hurt badly by my last..." I felt my stomach churning as I said, "...husband."

"Oh, no. That guy is an idiot!"

"Well, he's dead now. Did Alice ever tell you that my husband was Principal Evenson?"

"No way." His eyes darkened.

"Yes. I know, he's too old for me, but he was also my uncle."

"Eewww, gross. I'm sorry to hear that, Esme. No wonder you don't want to date anyone. But my dad's really awesome. He loves you. He talks about you in his sleep."

My cheeks heated up. "He does?"

Emmett nodded. "You should go out with him. Besides, it would be cool if the principal was my mom and Alice was my sister."

"Forward, aren't we? Wow, um, I'm not thinking about marriage...we were talking about me dating your father. I would consider it, but I'm still getting help. I'm still messed up."

"He's okay with that, apparently. He's always putting on cologne and fixing his hair in the mirror when he goes out to see you. I even caught him buying himself a suit and tie once. He doesn't wear that unless he likes someone. That someone is you. Alice thinks so too. We've talked about it, okay?"

I rolled my eyes. "You two are such big matchmakers."

Emmett started to talk some more, but Alice and Mom came back.

"So, what were you talking about?" Alice asked, almost too interested.

"Oh, nothing," I muttered as Emmett stifled a laugh through his teeth.

"Nothing, huh?" Mom asked. "We'll talk about this later, Esme."

I scoffed. "Mom, please."

She held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'll leave you alone. Come on, guys, let's go."

That was the end of our Mother's Day. I enjoyed myself, but boy, was Emmett insistent! I couldn't blame him. I'd want a mother figure too, if I didn't have one.

Monday morning couldn't come fast enough. I was soon back in my office and talking to my girlfriends.

"Okay, girls, first, I am teaching Crystal's class, then Renee's, and lastly, Carmen's. I've got a busy morning!" I closed the door behind me and went to my old classroom. I came in when the children were singing. As they finished, I applauded them.

"Very good, boys and girls!" Crystal congratulated them. "Now, why don't you all show Principal Platt your art projects?"

I smiled brightly when they started showing me their colorful self-portraits. "That looks wonderful! Ms. Turner, you've taught them well."

"On a side note, guys, how did you like Alice's surprise seventh birthday party last month?"

"Yaaaaaaaaay!" the kids cheered as I left the room and made my way to Renee's. I had a grin on my face as I imagined Alice working diligently and helping her friends out. I knocked on the door and Renee opened it for me almost immediately.

"Come see how I teach them."

"I'm sure you teach them just fine." I followed Renee back into the classroom and waved at my daughter and her friends.

"Hi, everyone, pretend I'm not here. Go about your business," I announced.

"And we are continuing with cursive writing! Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, come on up and write your names on the board!" Renee winked at me and I smiled back at her. She knew those three were both of our favorites.

Their handwriting was slightly messy like most children's were, but Alice's was the best, really. I wasn't showing any favoritism-the girl really did have amazing penmanship for a seven year old. Compared to Rosalie's and Jasper's, her writing was tiny. Renee had to tell her to make it bigger and try to fill up one third of the board. My little princess did an excellent job at that as well. I wondered if there was anything she was horrible at!

"Very nice, you guys," Renee complimented them. "You may sit down. Now, we're doing fractions. Principal Platt and I are going to switch spots, so I'm just gonna sit in the back here and Esme, you can come on up."

" If I have..." I drew a circle on the board, "...one whole pizza with eight slices, and I take two away..." I shaded two triangles in, "...what is the fraction? Simplify it, please."

Alice raised her hand and Renee whispered, "Anyone but Alice. Choose the more struggling students."

"You got them all right yesterday. Sorry, honey, I have to pick someone else. Rosalie."

"Six out of eight."

"Yes, but what is the fraction, sweetheart?"

"Six...eighths?"

"And what is it simplified? What goes into both six and eight?"

"Two."

"Great job! Two into six is...help her out, everyone."

"Three," the class said in unison.

"Okay, so the three is in the numerator. What is in the denominator?"

"Four. You have three fourths of the pizza left!" Rosalie said excitedly.

Alice hi-fived her. "I taught you well!"

"I'm proud of you, Rosalie. Next time, you'll be able to do it all by yourself. Practice makes perfect! Jasper, your turn. What is fifteen divided by three?"

"Ummm, four?" The class laughed and Renee quickly shushed them.

Alice clapped a hand to her forehead.

"Nice try, Jasper. How many times does three go into fifteen?"

He counted on his fingers with a confused expression on his face. After a few minutes, he came up with the correct answer. "Five!"

"Yes! Excellent! Keep doing your homework, and you'll get better and better."

"Okay," Jasper mumbled.

Renee playfully shooed me out of the classroom since we both knew that I was only supposed to spend twenty minutes in each classroom. I went to Carmen's room. Emmett smiled when he saw me.

"Mrs. Weber, Esme...I mean, the principal is here!"

Carmen stopped writing on the board. "Thank you, Emmett. Come on in, Esme, make yourself comfortable. We are just getting ready to continue reading Matilda. You may be the narrator." She handed me a book and I opened the page to where it was bookmarked.

"Matilda's parents owned quite a nice house with three-bedrooms upstairs, while on the ground floor there was a dining-room and a living-room and a kitchen. Her father was a dealer in second-hand cars and it seemed he did pretty well at it."

Emmett raised his hand. "I'll be the dad. My dad and Alice taught me how to read better. Kate can be Matilda." He gestured to the blonde girl next to him.

"Go on, Emmett," I allowed him.

He cleared his throat before reading. "Sawdust! Sawdust is one of the great secrets of my success. And it costs me nothing. I get it free from the sawmill."

"What do you use it for?" Kate asked, in character.

"Ha! Wouldn't you like to know." I almost laughed at his imitation of the idiot father, but I knew it wouldn't be appropriate, so I kept it to myself.

"I don't see how sawdust can help you to sell second-hand cars Daddy."

"That's because you're an ignorant little twit."

"You must be very clever to find a use for something that costs nothing. I wish I could do it."

"You couldn't do it. You're too stupid. But I don't mind telling young Mike here about it seeing he'll be joining me in the business one day." Emmett paused. "I'm always glad to buy a car when some fool has been crashing the gears so badly they're all worn out and rattle like mad. I get it cheap. Then all I do is mix a lot of sawdust with the oil in the gear-box and it runs as sweet as a nut."

"How long will it run like that before it starts rattling again?"

"Long enough for the buyer to get a good distance away. About a hundred miles."

"But that's dishonest Daddy. It's cheating."

"No one ever got rich being honest. Customers are there to be diddled."

"Alright...we can stop for now. What do you think of Matilda's father? Anyone?" Carmen asked. I put the book down.

"Yes, Kate?" I motioned in her direction.

"He's a complete nut job!" she exclaimed as everyone, including Carmen and me burst out laughing.

"Okay, he's a jerk. Now for Matilda, what did you guys think of her?" I asked. "Emmett, don't be shy to answer."

"She was awesome! She reminds me of Alice." He grinned. I gave him a thumbs-up.

"That's right. Okay, I'm finished. Are you guys ready for the field trip tomorrow?"

Everyone cheered, so I was glad of their positive reactions. The next day was fun, but not as fun as when Carlisle drove me home from the theme park. He walked me to his car while I talked about my meeting with Ella and her friends, Michelle and Katie.

"I shared something with them that I've never told you about before. I didn't really feel comfortable telling you about this, but they encouraged me to tell you."

"Go on."

"Well, last year, _he_ forced me to marry him. His whores dressed me up and plastered makeup all over my face. I felt like throwing up when I saw myself in my wedding dress, about to exchange rings with a horrible person. As I walked down the aisle, my steps were shaky and my eyes were focused on the floor. People thought I was crying of joy, but I was really upset and terrified for my life. I couldn't stand him!" I shivered at the memory. I didn't want to shatter again.

"You'll never have to go through that again," Carlisle promised me and hugged me close before letting me in the car.

"I know, but it scares me. I'm trying to forget, but I just can't! I feel like I need to hurry up and be okay!"

"It takes time."

I turned to him with a smile on my face. "Thank you."

He started driving and in the middle of the drive, he asked, "Would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?"

My heart did a flip. "What?"

"Well, you know, as friends."

"Um, sure, that would be okay, if we simply act like friends," I agreed uncertainly. "What should I wear?"

"Whatever you want, but not casual. Is La Bella Italia okay? We can meet there."

I shrugged. "Yep."

When I went to my meeting, I told Ella that Carlisle asked me out as friends. She smirked at me. "You go, girl."

I told her everything. I told her how Alice and Emmett were trying to set me up with Carlisle. I explained why I felt uncomfortable being alone with him for the first time ever since I was gang raped. I even began to cry.

"I'm pregnant!" I sobbed. "He doesn't even know that! I feel so slutty!"

"You aren't a whore, Esme."

"Why was I treated like one?"

"Because monsters live on this earth. It is not your fault!"

I sniffled. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

I cried in her arms until my meeting with Ella was over.

I took the bus home and downed my antidepressants with water. It seemed to boost my mood and I started feeling excited.

I ran up to my room and danced to love songs. I chatted with my daughter and she kept encouraging me to go out with him. I agreed hesitantly and got out my makeup. I fixed my hair so it was wavy and down my back. I should have taken a shower, but it was too late now. I spun around and felt like a goddess. I went through all my clothes and found a dark purple dress with spaghetti straps. The dress was billowy, light, and went down to my knees. I tried on a few pairs of shoes and decided on my black strappy high heels that I'd worn for Renee's wedding. Those would do. I checked to see if the dress hid my ugly belly, and it did. My black peacoat would accompany my outfit perfectly. I reached inside each of my bra cups and lifted up my breasts so they'd look bigger. They were looking a little bit saggy these days. I put my dangly earrings through my earlobes, adjusted my silver necklace so the heart pendant would be right at my cleavage, and then I smiled at my reflection.

"Oooh, you're pretty, Mama!"

I jumped and spun around to see my little girl. "Thanks, Ali."

"You're very welcome!"

On my way out the door to look for Carlisle, worry shot through me like a gun. I was too dressed up for a simple dinner out with a friend. Before I could go back inside, someone pulled me back down my porch steps.

"I don't want to go out with Carlisle after all."

"Esme, you are totally coming with Lily, Carmen, and I. We're going out for a girls' night!" Renee cheered.

"Oh, yay!" I let her shove me in the car with the other ladies and we talked the whole way to the restaurant. I felt bad for standing him up, but at least they were saving me from a sticky situation.

I got more suspicious when they drove me to the same restaurant that Carlisle was going to meet me at.

"Ladies, let me go home."

"Nope," Carmen said with a chuckle. "You're staying right here until he comes to meet you like he said he would."

"It'll be fun!" Lily added.

"Please, just for us?" Renee asked. "No pressure, but we all think you're the perfect woman for him. You're friendly, sweet, pretty, and smart."

"And pregnant!" I hissed. "Don't forget pregnant!"

"Esme, calm down. You're just nervous because you like him," Carmen pointed out.

"You want to impress him, we know. But damn, you look gorgeous tonight, girl!" Lily said.

"I've never been alone with him after I was raped!"

"You can do it! I have faith in you!" Renee put in. They each gave me a hug.

"Thanks, guys."

I was convinced to stay as soon as Carlisle walked through the restaurant doors in the sexiest suit and tie. My friends bolted out of the restaurant before he saw them. I blushed when he brushed his fingertips on my bare shoulder to get my attention. Then he spoke.

"Hey, Esme," he said in a smooth voice that just about made me go weak in the knees.

**Please read and review TeamCarlislex's story Esme's Hunger Games and K.K. Fush's stories Toxic and White Picket Fence.**

**Thank you to readers and reviewers TeamCullenx, K.K. Fush, CarlisleandEsme, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, TheMortician'sDaughter, that kiwi chick, Just4Me, & Msoxcookie!**


	27. Special

**Thanks to my beta K.K. Fush&my prereader TheMortician'sDaughter!**

**...and yes I posted this on Elizabeth Reaser's birthday on purpose...**

Carlisle POV

As I made my way over to the bench that Esme was sitting on inside the restaurant, I watched her as she peeled off her coat, revealing a dark purple dress with spaghetti straps. Her hair was in soft curls down her back. When I greeted her with a touch to her light skin, she turned around to face me. Esme opened her mouth, but she seemed to lose her voice until I spoke again.

"You're eye-fucking me, aren't you?"

"N-no!" she stammered, embarrassed. "I think I just swooned for a minute there. You look like a fucking god."

"Which god?" I teased her. "Never mind. You remind me of a goddess."

"Which goddess?" she giggled.

"Hmm, I would say Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty."

She blushed a deep candy apple red. "Should we get a table?"

I was so busy staring at her that I almost forgot where we were. "Oh, right, sorry...table for two, please?" I asked the hostess. "And can it be a private location that's not too noisy?"

"Of course, right this way, sir." The blonde woman took us to a quiet area of the restaurant with a round table that was decorated with a bouquet of red and pink roses and a candle burning, flooding the section with brilliant yellow light.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Your waiter will be with you soon. Call me Krissy, I'm only nineteen," she laughed.

"Aha, excuse the ma'am..."

Esme coughed loudly, and Krissy raised an eyebrow. "I have a boyfriend," she added. "Good luck with your man."

The teenager walked away, smiling to herself. Esme sat down across from me and laid her coat over her chair. I did the same.

"You were jealous."

"Shut up!" Esme snapped. "I was not! She has a boyfriend anyway, so she's not gonna flirt with you!"

I smirked and just enjoyed the feeling of her being envious of the hostess. She clasped her hands together, leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on top of her hands.

"You're cute when you're jealous." Esme flipped me off, but I ignored it.

Our waiter came just after that, and he cleared his throat. "What would you two like for dinner?"

I gestured for Esme to go first, and she spoke softly. "A big plate of Fettuccine Alfredo..."

"...with pizza, half cheese, half pepperoni and sausage," I finished. She grinned and licked her lips.

"Sounds great."

"What do you want to drink?" the waiter asked.

"Beer," I answered almost immediately.

"And I'd love a margarita," Esme put in. "Make it a strawberry margarita, please."

"I certainly will, miss." He winked at her flirtatiously, lifted her hand from where it was sitting on the table, and kissed it. "_Ciao_, bella."

"Nice try, too bad I'm not Bella," Esme said sharply and jerked her hand away from his.

_Burn!_ I added silently in my head.

The guy's gaze lingered a little too long on her, so I purposely slapped the table with my hand. Esme fidgeted nervously and looked down at her huge cleavage. I noticed the tent in the loser's pants and almost let out a growl.

"Okay, that's our order." My voice was strained.

The guy shook his head. "You are one lucky man, sir." Finally, he walked away so I could breathe.

"The nerve of that guy!" I exclaimed. "Where did you get that fantastic comeback?"

Esme chuckled. "Now look who's jealous! I have my moments of bravery, you know! Ella gave me some pointers on how to get rid of perverts, but I thought that one up on my own!"

"Nice. And I wasn't jealous, I was just being protective of you."

"Oh, you were green with envy!"

She was right, but I was embarrassed to admit the truth, so I just smiled mischievously and shook my head.

"Hey, your birthday's coming up, isn't it?" I asked casually.

Esme nodded. "Yeah, June fifteenth. I'll be twenty-six in a few weeks."

"What do you want to do for it?"

"My mom's planning on hosting it at a hotel. Crowne Plaza, to be exact."

"Ooh, fancy."

"It makes up for all the birthday parties I've missed over the years."

"I gotcha. What would you like for your birthday?"

"Oh, nothing special...it's not a milestone birthday or anything."

I made myself a mental checklist and thought of what she would need. She didn't have a cellphone, so I would get her that, of course.

"But you deserve the best!"

"You can get me something if you really want to. Don't waste your money on me."

"You're worth it."

She just sighed and glanced down while tapping her nails on the table.

The same annoying waiter gave us our appetizers, slices of soft white bread, but this time, the guy was too embarrassed to even look at us. We reached into the basket at the same time and jumped when our hands touched.

"I apologize, I wasn't thinking..." I muttered.

"No, I'm sorry...I'm just really hungry," Esme said and started chowing down. I took a bite of my bread, chewed it until I could talk again, and then asked, "So, Alice is with your mom, right?"

She quickly swallowed. "Mm-hm. They're doing well. My mom got a job, finally."

"Really? What does she do now?"

"She's an event planner. There's some weddings lined up for her, and she's doing my party, which is pretty neat. How's Emmett, by the way?"

"He's great. He's so excited to graduate elementary school. But he'll miss his friends at the same time."

"I bet. You know, he asked me the funniest thing on Mother's Day."

I leaned in closer to her, suddenly interested. "What did he ask you?"

"If I was scared of you and if that was the reason I didn't want to be in a romantic relationship with you."

I choked in astonishment. "Well, is it true? Are you scared of me?"

"No! I told him I really wasn't ready to date anyone and then he went on to say that you're pretty cool and I should go out with you, and bla bla bla...he was trying to set us up!"

"I'm sorry about that," I said and tried to keep the smirk off my face. "He desperately wants a mother."

"I can tell! He wanted Alice to be his sister too. That I can understand. But I wouldn't be a good step mom."

"Yes, you would. You're already a wonderful mother to Alice, who says you wouldn't dote on Emmett as well?"

"I'm a lousy mother!" she exclaimed and threw her hands up in exasperation. "What parent do you know tries to kill themselves or others, locks themselves up in a closet, or does other stupid things?"

"A parent who has been through trauma," was my simple explanation.

"Have you ever done that?"

Those five words brought the memory to the front of my mind. I'd stuffed it way back behind my brain, hoping it would go away forever, but since Esme brought it up, I had to tell her. I never wanted to think about it, but now, I had to confess.

"After my mom...raped me, I was hateful towards all women. When my parents landed in jail for abusing me, Charlie took me in and acted as a father towards me."

"Well, that's understandable."

"No, let me finish. Whenever older women flirted with me or said I was handsome, I'd punch them in the face."

Esme's mouth opened and she touched my hand gently. "That's awesome. Payback time."

I clenched my fist tightly. "It gets scarier. I'm even more of a monster than you were. You only killed Charles in broad daylight. The most gruesome thing I had ever done was that I murdered my parents in cold blood. They were crying and apologizing when I cornered them in some dark alley. Like I even gave a shit. I was out for revenge." I leaned back in my chair to look at her facial expression.

Esme gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "You didn't."

I nodded and laughed demonically. She started whimpering and shaking with her eyes closed.

"Are you okay?"

She didn't answer, but instead pounded on the table with her fist. A high-pitched gasp and snort came out of her and tears ran down her cheeks. As soon as she removed her hand from her mouth, I was relieved that she was smiling from ear to ear.

"Esme, this is the first time I've heard you really laugh uncontrollably to the point of crying, did you know that? It's music to my ears."

"Oh my God, Carlisle...I can't believe you actually did that! You better not be joking. I swear to God, I will _kill_ you if you are!" Her face was turning red since she couldn't stop giggling.

"I'm not joking!"

She almost screamed and then slammed her head down on the table. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...it's just so hilarious!"

"I killed my parents in cold blood," I hissed. "How is that funny? I felt sick doing it."

"I got a thrill out of running over Charles! Maybe you were sick because of all the blood."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Woooooow..." she dragged out the word. "Congratulations."

"You aren't afraid of me?" I asked, shocked.

"Nope. I'm proud of you. Where was Emmett, though?"

"Charlie was taking care of him."

Our food and drinks came after that little discussion. I sipped my beer, but Esme gulped down her margarita. We split the pizza and we each ate four slices. She ate almost all the fettuccine and left a few bites for me. I was still hungry.

"Mmm, that was good!" Esme said after shoveling the food into her mouth.

"I couldn't agree more! I'm gonna order more, is that okay?"

"That's more than okay!"

That plate of pasta was supposed to be for two people, the pizza was an added bonus, and she wanted to eat even more food? I wasn't going to say anything since that would be rude, so I just kept my mouth shut. I was happy with my extra plate of fettuccine while she gazed hungrily at it.

"Big appetite, huh?"

She nodded. "Hey, while you eat, I wanna tell you that Alice said you talk about me in your sleep. Do you really?"

My mouth was chuck full, so I bravely gave her a thumbs up. Her eyes widened. When I finally stopped eating after five minutes, I was able to exclaim, "That little tattletaler!"

"Did you tell my daughter your secret fantasies about me?"

"Not at all. She must have heard me while I fell asleep in front of the television."

Esme cracked up. "She's sneaky, all right. But Emmett's just as bad. Face it, they both want us to be a couple. They don't get it, do they?"

"Let's just hook up to make them shut up."

"No way! We have to wait until our true feelings for each other come out."

The waiter came for the last time ask us if we wanted dessert. I scanned the menu and found a brownie sundae with Oreo ice cream, whipped cream, and rainbow and chocolate sprinkles for us to share. Esme was practically bouncing in her seat.

By the time she stopped eating a quarter through the treat, she went green, hiccuped, slapped her palm over her mouth, and her cheeks puffed out. She got up quickly and ran for, I supposed, the ladies' room. I paid for the check by myself and went to go look for her. She came out a few minutes later. Her face was pale, a ghostly white color. I put my hand against her forehead and it felt clammy.

"What's wrong?" I was concerned.

"I ate too much," she murmured nonchalantly. "Sorry, I'm gross. I just puked."

Her hair looked limp and suddenly, I wished I had held her hair back from her face while she had her head over the toilet bowl. Even though she was sick, there was a certain glow about her. Esme patted her stomach and looked down for a second.

"I didn't give that waiter a check because of the way he stared at you," I let her know.

"Thanks."

"Do you want me to take you home, or do you want to do anything else? It's only nine, the night is young."

"I've always wanted to stargaze and look at the moon."

That's how we found ourselves strolling around Port Angeles. We found a spot of grass to lay down on. Right away, she pointed at the dark sky which was filled with a little bit of moonlight coming through a single cloud. There were a million little stars scattered here and there. It was a beautiful night. "Hey Carlisle, there's a shooting star!" Our eyes followed it as it zoomed across the sky. "Make a wish!"

"It already came true."

"Really? What was it? You can tell me if it came true already!"

"I'm laying here with the prettiest lady in the whole wide world. How much better can it get?" I told her openly.

She closed her eyes. "Mmm...now that we're out here, I reminded myself of something I did when I was younger. When I was shrouded in that metal cage with an old black cloth draped over it, I noticed that there was this teeny-tiny hole I could see through. I could barely stick my hands through the bars, so I couldn't fully remove the cloth, but that small hole gave me hope. It resembled a lone star and I made a wish on it every single night. I imagined there was an angel above me that put the hole there so I could look at it. All the time, while I was in that cage, I said quietly to the hole, 'Please, little star, keep me safe, send me someone to protect me.' And I guess it heard my prayer, because I never died at _his _hands and you're my bodyguard. I don't know why I survived, considering my living conditions."

"You're a fighter, that's why."

"You've told me something similar to that before," she pointed out.

"Because it's true."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You're very welcome."

She smiled at me.

I felt something wet dripping on my face and then the palms of my hands. "Ohhh, great, it's raining. I'm sorry, but we have to cut our date short."

"That's okay." Esme quickly got up and pulled me to my car, skipping all the way. I tried my hand, or rather, feet, at skipping, but ended up tripping over my own feet instead.

"You can just run along with my skipping, okay?" she suggested with a laugh.

I was too ashamed to answer her, so I just rushed to my car with her following me. I drove us to her house with the rain pattering on the windows being the only sound either one of us heard.

"Hey, are you all right?" she asked quietly.

I shook my head clear of all my negative thoughts. "I wanted to impress you. Now, you probably think I'm a klutz."

"I'm glad you can't skip. Then you wouldn't be a guy." Esme rolled her eyes. "Don't even worry about it. It's the girl's job to have fancy steps."

"I suppose you're right..." I got out of the car and went around to the other side. I opened her door for her. She was about to climb out, but she shrieked as she almost slipped. Thankfully, I caught her.

"Oh," she gasped breathlessly, "you saved me!"

"I'll always save you," I promised her.

"My hero. Damn, my heels and this weather don't mix!"

"Well, I can't skip, so I guess we're even."

"Yeah, that's true. Hey, let's dance in the rain."

"Of course we can," my voice dropped down to a whisper and I said to myself, "my hopeless romantic."

"Did you say something?" she murmured against my shoulder as I rocked her from side to side in my arms.

"I just said that you're a hopeless romantic."

"I am," she agreed.

I took each of her hands and spun her around so my arms were around her waist and her back was against my chest. I twirled her again and she was now facing me. "Are you having fun?" I asked her.

"Yes! Wheeee!" she giggled as I lifted her up a few feet in the air when we pivoted a few times. Esme shook her wet hair out around her face and shouted, "Whoa!" as I hooked my arms under her thighs so she would put her arms around my neck.

Her legs were now wrapped around my hips and her dress slid up in the sexiest manner. I never knew dancing in the rain could be so hot and arousing, but it was. I put her down immediately when my boner made itself known. She also felt a little heavier than usual, but I decided to ignore that part. It was probably just all the food she ate tonight.

My face was so close to hers that I thought we were going to kiss, but she ducked her head as soon as I cupped her cheek and stroked the spot below her eye with my thumb.

"There was a raindrop there. Thought you were crying."

"No, I'm not sad. I'm really happy right now. Like, overexcited, hyper happy. These would be joyful tears if I was crying." She let out a boisterous giggle and I felt myself grinning.

"I love your laugh, it's so beautiful," I complimented her.

Esme giggled even more. "Oh, stop it!"

I enjoyed making her swoon and blush. "You're very lovely in the rain."

"Shut up!" She hit my chest playfully and tried to run away from me, but I grabbed her and pulled her to my side.

"Don't leave me, Ezzie. I can't live without you."

"I feel the same way about you," she admitted.

I gazed into her eyes until a raindrop fell into my eye and made me have to look away from my perfect woman. She chuckled.

"I can't believe I forgot to ask you," I started as we made our way up her front porch steps, "but are you feeling better?"

"Oh, much, much better. I almost forgot I vomited!"

"That's great!"

A second later, she started having a laughing fit. Since she was giggling like crazy, I started cracking up along with her. She knocked on her door and we laughed even louder when her mom opened the door.

"You two are soaking wet! And you're laughing hysterically!" Anne noticed aloud. "What were you doing out there?"

"We were dancing, Mom."

"Your daughter's idea," I added.

"Ah, my baby, ever the hopeless romantic. Come on in, you'll catch a cold. Alice is waiting up to see you both." Esme's mom wrapped us in her arms and kissed her daughter on the head.

"Hi, Carlisle! Hi Mommy!" Alice shouted from upstairs.

"Hey there, Alice! I'm going to go now...good night, Esme, Anne." I gave them hugs as they said their farewells to me and then I went back home. Emmett interrogated me with questions as soon as I got home. He was supposed to be sleeping since it was eleven on a school night, but I filled him in on our date anyway. Naturally, he was glad that Esme seemed to like me a lot more than just a friend.

Two weeks passed and then I realized that my son was graduating from elementary school. For the ceremony, he had to wear a suit and stand in front of Kate Denali when the principal, Esme, called out the names of the fifth grade graduates. I was so proud of him when she announced, "Emmett Cullen," and I stood up in my seat and cheered him on. He fist pumped while he jumped up onto the stage to receive his diploma. Next to me, Rosalie leaned against Lily and started crying.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Lily asked her in a hushed voice.

"He's leaving me! Emmett's going to the big school!"

"Aw, Rosie, he'll still be living next door to us!" Jasper tried to soothe her.

She sighed sadly. "But I can't be away from him. He's my best friend."

Lily looked at me helpelessly. "I'm sorry, I need to use the restroom. Can you please help her out?"

"Sure. Hey, Rosalie?"

"What?" The poor little girl looked up at me and sniffled as she tugged on her braid.

"You know that Esme's my other half, right? I can't live without her either."

"Yeah, so?"

"I'm a doctor and she's a teacher. We're separated, but still together. We see each other so often that those eight hours five days a week that I don't see her, don't matter. During that time, I look forward to being with her again. You'll have something to look forward to, Emmett coming home every day, Monday through Friday, three in the afternoon."

"I guess..."

Alice crawled over my lap and shared a seat with Rosalie. "Hey, sissy, you'll be okay. You can talk to him when Esme's finished saying everyone's name. Jasper and I will hang out with you next year and the year after that..."

"I know. I'm happy about that."

A bigger boy with dirty blonde hair joined us and put his arm around Rosalie. Alice had to move out of his way and sit on the other side of me again. She frowned.

"That idiot took my spot! I was comforting my best friend!" she whispered to me. "He looks dangerous, so I couldn't say anything."

I tapped the boy on his shoulder. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Royce King the Second." He gave me a tough-guy look.

"Well, Royce King the Second, I believe Alice was sitting there."

"You took my spot!" Alice spoke up behind me. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"You can have it back. I was just making Rosalie here feel better."

"Whatever, major loser."

"Come on, it's not like I'm gonna be her boyfriend or anything!" He puckered his lips to kiss her cheek, but Jasper reached over Lily's seat and knocked him out of Rosalie's way.

"Stay away from my sister! Leave her alone!"

Rosalie's lower lip quivered as Emmett came over to our row right after the last name was called. His fist landed on Royce's head and the overgrown elementary schooler crashed to the floor.

"Don't kiss my Rosie ever again!" With a kick to the guy's nuts, Emmett folded his arms over his chest and grinned proudly. "Who is that, anyway?" he asked Rosalie, who was looking at him like she won the lottery.

"He likes me, I guess."

"Stay away from my girl! I know that you've had your eyes on her from day one!" he threatened.

Royce groaned and stomped off. Esme laughed behind us. "Like father, like son. Emmett, you're lucky you've graduated already. Keep yourself out of detention in middle school, okay?"

"I didn't fight until now so I wouldn't have to go to detention at all! That's my trick!" He cackled evilly and hugged Rosalie close.

"What was that all about, anyway?" Esme asked them both.

"I thought Royce liked me as a friend and then he gave me cooties!" Rosalie wailed.

"It was justified," I added. "High-five, kid. Congrats, grad!"

"I'm the hero!" He flexed his biceps and slapped my palm with his own. "Rosalie, what else is wrong?"

"I'll miss you so much! Please don't go!"

Esme sat down on the other side of Alice and we tried not to eavesdrop on their conversation, but we couldn't help but overhear.

"I will always be with you spiritually when we're apart, Rosie. I love you. You're my best friend forever."

"I love you, you're my bestest friend forever too," she said into his embrace.

Esme's eyes brimmed with tears. "Oh, gosh, that's so sweet. I think I just melted."

I couldn't agree with her more. "Speaking of sweetness, let's go out on another date, in celebration of your job being over for the summer."

"Okay! Tomorrow evening, right?"

"Yes, and I'll pick you up at seven. You choose the location."

"I want to dress up again. That's always fun. Let's go to Taqueria Santana. I love Mexican food so, so much. Yum."

"Fantastic."

The next day, I went into Lily's garden and picked a few roses, lilies, and daffodils for Esme. Once I had a good bouquet, I decided to pick some tulips for her mom as well. I wrapped each bouquet with a pink ribbon and set them on the kitchen table. When I was about to get dressed, Rosalie came into my room. I grabbed the first suit and tie that I found and paired it with black slacks.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked.

"Making sure you look good for your girlfriend! Emmett said you were going on a date with Esme again, and when Mommy goes out on dates with Daddy, he never wears the same thing twice in a row."

"Who said I was gonna wear the same outfit?"

She put her hands on her hips. "You have your hand on it. She'll recognize you're wearing the same thing you wore last time. Mommy said so."

"Okay, miss fashiontista, what should I wear?"

"This shirt," she tugged on a long sleeved dark blue striped shirt, "the pants are fine, and this tie." She pulled out a black tie and handed it to me.

"Thanks, Rose."

"Good luck! Bye!"

I sighed, got dressed, sprayed myself with cologne, put my black shoes on, and picked up the flowers from the table on the way out. I checked my pocket to make sure my wallet was there and I breathed a sigh of relief when I found it. I drove to Esme's house and in seconds, I was ringing the doorbell. I peeked through the keyhole and saw her mom opening the door. I immediately handed her the flowers.

"Oh!" Anne exclaimed, surprised. "Thank you. Esme's still upstairs getting ready, I'll put these in a vase. Take a seat on the couch, please." She left for a second.

"Yes, ma'am," I muttered to myself. She returned and sat down on the chair across from me.

"Now, there are some things you need to know about my daughter that she has never told you herself..."

"Oh, God, this is hopeless!" a voice shouted from upstairs. "Shit, he's here!"

"Mommy, calm down! Grandma, we need your help!"

Anne blew out a huge breath. "I'm coming, I'm coming. Hold on, Carlisle."

I was left to wait in Esme's living room and wonder what she was keeping from me.

**Please read&review TeamCarlislex's story Esme's Hunger Games&K.K. Fush's stories Toxic&White Picket Fence or Charles will come after you!**

**Thanks for reading&reviewing: TeamCullenx, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, K.K. Fush, Just4Me, TheMortician'sDaughter, that kiwi chick, Caresme'sChild,& Msoxcookie!**


	28. Celebration

**Thanks for beta'ing and prereading, K.K. Fush and TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Esme POV

The sticky, red liquid ran down my leg as I hissed in pain. Tears formed in my eyes as I realized that Carlisle was here to pick me up and I had kept him waiting...all because I had cut myself out of pure idiocy. I was holed up in my room and had ripped everything off me. Not even Alice could coax me out of my paranoia.

The door opened and my mom walked in. "Mom to the rescue. What happened...oh, dear, let me see."

"Ugh!" I groaned and threw the ten dresses that I rejected across the room so they landed on my bed. "I have nothing to wear because I've gotten fatter over the past month, and I cut myself shaving my legs! He's gonna think I'm still a cutter! Whoever made razor blades so sharp needs to go to fucking hell!" I glared at the offending piece of steel. "This shouldn't have happened with an electric razor... I want to start all over!"

"Mommy, you have a potty mouth."

I looked up at my daughter who was perched on my bed near my tossed clothes. "Sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to swear. I'm just frustrated. My hair dried already, and I wanted him to see me with my hair wet." _Because a girl's wet hair that is spread around her shoulders looks really sexy, apparently._

"And you don't even have your makeup on." Mom added.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Thank you very much for pointing that out."

"Don't worry, I'll help you. Alice, you can go entertain Carlisle downstairs."

"Okay!" Alice agreed happily and scampered out of the room.

"First of all, Esme, you've made a deep cut right where your knee bends, so let's just wash this off in the sink." I wrapped my towel around my naked form and limped toward my bathroom with Mom's help.

"I can't see over my belly or through my hair when I'm bent over for five minutes. This is my first time shaving. Forgive me for being a little nervous!"

"It's all right," she murmured while soaking my injury in cool water. "Now, I'm going to pat this dry and put gauze and tape around it."

"This is so humiliating and it makes me sick..." I moaned and covered my eyes. "I was clumsy with an electric razor!"

"It's not your fault. It was an accident! Come on, I'm done with your bandage, so let's go into your room to pick out a nice outfit."

"Okay." I hopped back to my room and kept my towel securely around me. "The problem with all these dresses is that they don't hide my stomach! Everyone will know that I'm expecting! Do you know how embarrassing that is?"

"There are some dresses here that don't show your stomach as much...what about this dark blue dress?" She picked it out of my closet.

"I just bought that today...but then I didn't think he'd like it all that much. It's summer, and I can't wear dark clothes in the summer. It...it was the only one I could afford and...and fit into." I looked down and felt ashamed.

"Carlisle's a man. He doesn't give a shit about fashion. You will look exquisite, my darling. I promise you that right now."

Mom closed the door with the dress still in her hands and came back to me. I dropped the towel so it fell into a pool around my feet. Taking her hands for balance, I stepped into the dress and she tied it in the back. It was a halter dress and when she turned me around so I could look at myself in the mirror, I was astonished. I pivoted to one side, then the other. My mouth fell open in an 'O' shape.

"Wow. Not bad."

My mom hummed to herself. "Not bad at all. It shows off your long legs pretty nicely." She tapped her chin. "Okay, you put on your makeup and I'll do your hair."

"I'd like a half pony, please." I walked towards my fallen makeup kit, picked it up, and sat in front of my magnifying mirror. My mom decided to straighten my hair while I did my makeup. My hair was now hot against my bare back and shoulders and my bangs hung straight across my forehead. I took off my glasses and applied mascara on my eyelashes, black liner on my eyelids, and added white eyeshadow. I smacked my pink-glossed lips together and finally, I felt good about my appearance. The last step was putting on my heels.

"Pretty as a princess!"

I smiled and twirled around. "Thanks!"

"Ready to go meet him downstairs?"

I nodded my head yes excitedly.

"I'll go downstairs first and then you can follow me."

As soon as my mom walked down the stairs, I put on a black cardigan in case it got cold, and slowly went downstairs. I saw Carlisle with Alice and they were just talking away. I took him by surprise when his name escaped my lips.

He tore his attention away from my little girl and stared at me. "Wow..."

"We match," I giggled. "I'm wearing a blue dress and you have a blue shirt on underneath your jacket. Very handsome, by the way."

He came closer to me and gathered me in his arms. "Thanks. Rosalie picked it out."

I laughed. "She has good taste in fashion."

"Apparently, so does your mom. Esme, you're...I just can't take my eyes off you."

My gaze dropped to the floor and I blushed madly. "Th...thank you."

Carlisle placed his finger under my chin and lifted it so my eyes could meet his. His lips came in close contact with my own, and then he pulled away, leaving me gasping for breath.

"W...what was that?"

"Close your eyes," he instructed me. I obeyed.

I heard him walk further into the living room and when he re-entered the foyer. When I peeked, I noticed he was hiding something behind his back.

"Okay, you can look. For you, milady." He handed me a colorful bouquet of roses, lilies, and daffodils.

I took the flowers and closed my eyes again. "Gosh, they're gorgeous."

"I'm glad you think so."

"I'll...I'll put these in a vase."

"Don't be silly, dear. I can do that for you," Mom offered. I gladly handed over the flowers to her and Carlisle looped his arm through mine.

"Shall we go?"

"We shall." I hugged my mom and daughter goodbye. They waved back at me and wished me luck.

Carlisle helped me into his car like a perfect gentleman, and then he started driving us to our desired destination.

"I heard you were having some trouble up there?" he started.

"Yeah..." I crossed one ankle over the other, and the slight movement left a stinging pain where the cut was. "Ouch!"

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Oh, nothing, I just cut myself..." I glanced at him quickly before I said, "shaving my legs." His facial features softened when he realized that I didn't do it on purpose.

"Damn, that bites. I've had that happen to me before, but it was on my chin. I went too fast and the razor just about sliced my face open."

"Eeewww," I said distastefully and wrinkled my nose. "Delightful," I commented sarcastically.

"Yeah, not very pleasant," he agreed. "Hey, we're here."

"Ooh, cool!" I unlocked my car door and unbuckled my seatbelt while Carlisle did the same. He came around to the passenger side of his car and held out his arms.

"There's a puddle from this week's summer rain. I'm carrying you over it, bridal style."

"I'm not complaining," I said giddily. I grabbed my purse and wrapped my arms around his neck as he cradled me to his chest. He walked to the restaurant and suddenly, I noticed a light rainbow that was about to fade away.

"Esme, what is it?" he asked when I gasped softly.

"Look at that rainbow!"

"Wow, yeah..." his eyes traveled to where I was pointing upwards at the sky. "It's amazing, a rainbow just before sunset."

"Speaking of which, let's get a sunset view! That would be lovely."

"I'll request it," he promised me. "Anything for the birthday girl."

"It's not my birthday til' next week!"

"Close enough," he smirked with his hand still on the doorknob. Then, he let us in and greeted the hostess with a friendly smile.

"Hello, we'd like a table for two with a sunset view."

"That rhymes," I giggled.

"_Hola. Por favor, sígueme_," the young woman gestured for us to follow her. "Your waitress will be here soon."

"_Gracias_," Carlisle thanked her.

"_De nada_," the woman answered him and gave us our menus. Then, she left.

Carlisle pulled out my chair and I sat down. He took the seat that was across from me. We read our menus and I knew what I wanted right away.

"Aha, yes! They have a vegetarian burrito!" I exclaimed triumphantly after scanning my menu.

"You ordered that last time. Are you a vegetarian, or...?" He trailed off and didn't finish his question.

"No, no, I just don't like meat except for hamburgers and hot dogs," I quickly explained. "Hey, we're the opposite! You don't like cheese, but I love it. I hate chicken, but you wolf that shit down! In fact, I bet you're getting a chicken burrito like you did last time we went out for Mexican food with our kids." I realized my mistake and felt embarrassed. "I-I mean my daughter and your son," I corrected. Thankfully, he didn't notice, or maybe he just didn't care.

"You're right, I am. What are you getting for a beverage?"

"Strawberry margarita, just like last time."

"Mmm, although my favorite drink is a beer, I'll try that too."

"What? You don't have to. It's your choice!" I protested.

"It's okay, I want to!"

"Okay then...well a strawberry margarita is the only alcoholic drink I can handle. The rest are too carbonated."

"Do you have sensitive taste buds or something?"

"Yeah, I'm really picky," I admitted with a sigh.

"I can be too, sometimes. Ravioli and Pop-Tarts are nasty! With the squishy-squishy and the squares!"

I burst out laughing at his grossed-out facial expression. "Are you kidding? I love that crap! Oh well, every man for himself!"

"Yep!" He put down his menu, as did I. "What's your favorite dessert?"

"Brownie sundae...and strawberry shortcake! I have a lot."

"I love those too. Everyone likes dessert."

"I just don't like nuts."

"No nuts for you, then."

We looked out the window in unison and noticed the sun setting. I leaned against the wall that was underneath the clear window and propped my chin on my fist. I started to move when he took out his phone.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"Just don't talk or anything, okay? Stay right there. I'm taking a picture of you with the sunset in the background."

I fluffed my hair, took off my glasses, smiled and kept my eyes open until after the camera on his iPhone clicked. "What was that for?"

After I put my glasses back on, he turned his phone around so I could see the photo he just took. "I want to remember you when we're not together. See, now it's my wallpaper on my iPhone. I just can't get over how beautiful you are tonight...or anytime, in fact. Can I take another one of you with your glasses on? You have a sweet smile."

I blinked and my cheeks flushed a deep red, I was pretty sure of that. "Yes?"

"Why don't you make a funny face?"

I did a peace sign with my fingers, rolled my eyes, and stuck my tongue out crazily. He took it while laughing.

A girl who looked to be in high school noticed him taking pictures of me and got his attention. "You two are so adorable. Would you like me to take a picture of the both of you?"

"Sure, that would be great," Carlisle allowed and handed the teenage girl his phone. "Just press the middle."

"I got it."

Carlisle stood at the front of the table and put his arm around me. I gave the girl more directions. "Just our top halves, please. The camera adds ten pounds."

"Of course."

We grinned from ear to ear when she took our picture. "There you go."

After she handed Carlisle his iPhone back, I commented, "That was nice."

"It was." We sat back down until the waitress came over to get our orders.

"Sunsets are so lovely," I murmured.

"They're prettier with you there."

"Aww, stop being so corny," I teased him, even though I swooned at his compliment. I swear, he was going to give me a heart attack if he didn't shut up.

A peppy voice chirped, "Hi, my name is Jessica, and I'll be serving you tonight. What would you guys like to drink and eat?"

We turned to a short woman in her late teens with blonde, curly hair. When we didn't respond right away, because the woman made me jump out of my seat, she said, "Come on, I don't, like, have all day!" _Patient, wasn't she? _I thought to myself and scoffed quietly.

"You first," Carlisle told me.

I told her my order and then Carlisle went after me.

"Are you guys, like, dating or married?"

"Neither," I spoke up. "We're very close friends!" Then, I noticed the way she was eyeing him and beginning to touch his arm. _Oh hell, no! Not my man! That rude bitch!_ "_Extremely _close friends," I emphasized and sucked on my finger really hard.

"Ohhh! Like-" she dropped her voice down to a whisper, "-friends with benefits?"

"Fuck yeah! Mmm!"

"I don't wanna know!" she wailed and ran away with our orders. He stared at me with raised eyebrows. I cracked up.

"Esme, did you just lie to our waitress and tell her we're having sex?"

"To get her eyes off your package, yes. You're welcome, by the way."

Carlisle shook his head. "You're one of a kind."

"Is that a good thing?" I wondered hopefully. "I mean, at least I didn't try to kill her this time."

"It's an excellent thing. I love your creativity."

"Thank you."

The next time the waitress came back with our orders, she didn't dare look at my man, who wasn't really mine yet. I smiled innocently at her and took my food. "Thanks."

She didn't say anything to either of us when she set Carlisle's food down in front of him.

"Thank you very much!" he said when she hurried away.

"Are you thanking her or me?" I asked.

"Well, you...it makes me uncomfortable when other women flirt with me."

"Ah. Then you're welcome, again." I started eating. "Oh, god, this is good!"

"I couldn't agree with you more."

"Maybe she's trying to kiss up to us so she'll get a tip and be forgiven for flirting with you."

"She still won't get one."

"Awesome, dude. If she writes her number on the back of the receipt, I'll laugh."

We chewed our food until it was gone about ten minutes later.

So...do you want dessert?"

"Sure. Let's get strawberry shortcake this time," he suggested.

"Mmm...sounds good." I licked my lips slowly.

He raised his hand. "Miss, we'd like dessert," he told our waitress. I decided not to make her feel awkward by just not speaking. I let him talk to her. I wasn't supposed to be jealous! We were only friends.

"Of course," Jessica chirped.

"Strawberry shortcake with whipped cream, please," Carlisle said politely.

"Why are you so calm?" I asked him after the flustered waitress took our order down on a notepad and walked away.

"I guess women are more emotional than men."

"Yeah, that makes sense, actually."

We shared our dessert and I ate more than he did with no shame. He stared at me curiously.

"Enjoying your early birthday treat?"

"Oh! Um, yes..." I wiped my mouth free of whipped cream, strawberry juice, and crumbs. "All right, I'm done. We can go now, if you want."

"Perfect. Check, please!" he called out to Jessica who was coming to collect our food. She didn't get a tip and I stifled my giggles with the palm of my hand when she wrote her number on the back of the receipt.

_Call me_, she mouthed at Carlisle, and then sauntered away.

"Let's go somewhere private, hm?" Carlisle asked me while I finished my spouts of laughter. He held my hand and I slipped my arm through my purse strap. We walked out of the restaurant and a gust of cold air hit us both. I shivered and put on my cardigan, but it was still freezing. He noticed and took off his own jacket to lend to me.

"Thank you," I murmured gratefully. "Your jacket feels nice around me. It's cozy and warm."

"I'm glad you think so." He let go of my hand and put his arm around my shoulders instead. I leaned into him and hugged his free arm. "So, did you have fun?"

"Oh, yes, I had a blast."

"Great!" When we got into his car, he turned on soothing music and started driving me home. I suddenly didn't want this night to end. We didn't say a word to each other, but we sang to the lyrics loudly and proudly when the radio began to play a song that I wanted to dance to. I sighed sadly when I saw my house come into view.

"Well, I...I guess this is good night."

He opened his arms for a hug. "I can walk you up there, if you'd like?"

_Men hate clinginess, Esme! Make him want you more by rejecting him!_

The voice in my head was right. So, I simply put on a brave face. "It's okay. I'll go up by myself." We shared an awkward hug and I let myself out of his car. I practically ran up to my door without looking back. He stayed there until my mom let me in.

"Hey, baby, how was your date?"

"It was nice," was all I said. I scrambled up the stairs and locked myself in my bedroom. I sank down against my wall and squealed happily.

Alice knocked on my door. "Mommy, I take it you had a wonderful time?"

"Yes!" I almost screamed. I was too excited to go to sleep.

The next weekend was my birthday party. The hotel was decorated pretty nicely, with silver and red balloons, circular tables with candles and roses in the middle, and a big space for dancing. There was even a disco ball above our heads. Everyone dressed fancy. I had on fake French nails, my long red strapless dress and silver dangly earrings that I'd bought during my preparation week. My hair was curled and I was soon all dolled up in front of the mirror. I sat at one of the tables and waited for my guests to arrive. Alice was in a cute purple dress while Mom was in an elegant blue evening gown. My dress was perfect since it hid my stomach very well.

The first people to come were the Hales and the Swans. I gave my friends big hugs and Renee spun me around. She looked darling in her purple dress and it was funny how Charlie's tie matched his wife's dress. Lily was in a black dress and Rosalie was in white. The little girl hugged my daughter and then waved around a toy stick with a star attached to the end. She touched my belly with the star as soon as the men were distracted.

"Baby, come out, now!" I tried not to laugh because she frowned when nothing happened. "It doesn't work!"

"Oh, sweetie, don't worry, it'll come out soon," I assured her and tousled her blonde hair. "In December."

"I can't wait that long!"

I smiled down at her. "Sorry."

"Let's get this party started!" I heard someone shout. It was some of the students in my former class, and my heart warmed. Ella, Carmen, Siobhan, Elizabeth, Sue, and Sarah came through the door with their husbands and kids after, and we exchanged hugs. Someone was missing, and so was half of my heart.

Everyone went to their assigned seats just as Carlisle and Emmett arrived, finally! Renee, Charlie, Carmen, Eleazar, and I welcomed Carlisle to our table, while Emmett joined Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, Angela, Bree, Diego, and Maggie at the kids' table. We had tortellini for dinner and water to drink. I felt shy when my mom told people to say something nice about me in a microphone. My friends and my mom said they were lucky to have me in their lives, the kids thought I was the best grown-up ever, which I laughed hysterically at, along with everyone else, and Carlisle announced that I was his favorite girl in the world. My audience 'awwwwed' at that. I just patted his arm and smiled at him fondly. Suddenly, I used my newfound bit of confidence I'd gained from meetings with Ella and stood up.

"Thank you, everyone!"

There was a round of applause and then the dancing started. People break-danced and slow danced to all kinds of songs. Of course, for the slow songs, I ended up in Carlisle's arms.

"You look good in that suit," I noticed aloud. He was wearing a short sleeved green button-up paired with black slacks and dress shoes.

"Thank you. I love you in that dress. Strapless really suits you."

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"Your cheeks match your dress."

"What? Oh, god!" I hid my face in his shoulder.

We were speechless while we danced around the room slowly. His arms were tightly wound around me and I started to feel lightheaded. What if he felt my disgusting baby bump? Oh, no...

"My legs feel like jelly...why did I just say that out loud?" I asked him.

"Because you're very attracted to me. You deserve to have this kind of birthday party, you know."

"Really?" I asked.

He nodded and smoothed his hand down my hair. "You mean a lot to me." He pulled out a black box out of his pocket.

_Oh my god, was he gonna propose_? my mind panicked. He gave the box to me.

"Should I open it?"

"Go ahead, Ezzie. It's one of my birthday presents to you."

I lifted the lid of the box and found a gold necklace with a heart on the end of the chain inside.

"Help me put it on?"

"Certainly." He loosened the clasp on the necklace and opened it up while I held up my hair. His fingers brushed the back of my neck and I got a very tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach, right where my baby was currently residing. "There." He appeared in front of me again and I touched the heart that was just above my cleavage.

"I love it..." I was beginning to get choked up.

"That's great to hear." He put one arm around my back and his other hand tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. He fingered my earring and rested his palm on my cheek.

"Carlisle..." I grabbed his hand which was on my cheek. "Please don't make me cry on my birthday," I said softly. My voice was thick with emotion.

"I'll try not to," he whispered in my hair.

Tears slipped down my cheeks, but they were overjoyed tears. I loved being in his strong arms and feeling protected. For a moment, it felt like we were the only ones in the room. We gazed into each other's souls until a random line dance started and we were pulled into it.

"This party rocks!" I cheered.

"Yeah, because you're here."

"Of course I'm here, I'm the birthday girl!"

For the next few songs, I danced wildly with my girls and twirled the little girls around. Carlisle took pictures of us on his phone and his camera.

A really sappy slow song came on and this time, I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head on his shoulder. Carlisle rocked us from side to side. I looked out at the other couples dancing, even the children. It was such an enchanting scene to watch. The disco lights shined down on us all, making the room and people have a pinkish glow. Pictures were taken and I opened all my presents. The best one was a computer from my mom and an iPhone from Carlisle.

"Wow, you guys didn't have to get me this...thank you," I told them and gave them big hugs. Now, I finally looked like a normal person with technology to their name.

"It was no problem," Carlisle said with a grin. My mom rubbed my back soothingly and went back to snapping pictures.

Soon, it was time for the chocolate cake with the words, "Happy twenty-sixth Birthday, Esme!" written in red icing with green and pink flowers around it. I stood over my cake while everyone sang, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Esme, happy birthday to you!" Then I blew out my candles and made a wish.

_Please, let me learn to love again_, I prayed in my head. _Please, God, I need romance in my life_.

As everyone ate their slices of cake, Carlisle got up from his chair. "Now, I'm going to sing."

"What, you're singing?" I asked, shocked.

"Well, yeah." With that, he jumped up on the stage and everyone paused their movements to look up at him. "Microphone, please." My mom tossed him the microphone and he spoke into it. "Thank you, Anne. Now, this song is dedicated to a special girl in my life." He looked right into my eyes. "You know who you are, birthday girl."

I swayed along with the music as everyone else did. I found out that I could actually relate to the song.

"She's saying 'Love is like a barren place

And reaching out for human faith is like a journey

I just don't have a map for.'

So baby's gonna take a dive and

Push the shift to overdrive

Send a signal that she's hanging

All her hopes on the stars

What a pleasant dream

She's sayin,

'I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be, if you'll be my baby.

I've got a ticket for a world where we belong

So would you be my baby?"

He continued to sing while I loved it.

**YAAAAAY! The Breaking Dawn Part 2 trailer came out! I'm so excited! ^_^**

**Please read and review TeamCarlislex's story Esme's Hunger Games and K.K. Fush's stories Toxic and White Picket Fence.**

**Thank you to readers and reviewers K.K. Fush, CarlisleandEsme, that kiwi chick, MrsCarlisleCullen13, TheMortician'sDaughter,Just4Me, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, Msoxcookie, Caresme'sChild & TeamCullenx!**


	29. Throwing Names Around

****Thank you for beta'ing, K.K. Fush, and prereading, TheMortician'sDaughter!****

Carlisle POV:

It had been two and a half weeks since Esme's birthday party and all that time, we'd gone on a date almost every night. We'd had fun, we'd laughed a lot, and sometimes, we'd even stayed up past the wee hours of the night, texting and talking on the phone. I didn't regret getting her an iPhone. I smiled whenever her number popped up along with her picture. The night before the Fourth of July, I called Charlie to see what he was doing with Renee in case they wanted to double date with us.

"Hey man, what's up?" he answered.

"Hey, I was just wondering, what are you and Renee doing tomorrow?"

"We're just gonna watch the fireworks in LaPush...and you?"

"Mind if we join you guys? Esme and I, that is."

"Oh, no, that's fine!"

"Sounds like a double date, then. Maybe we can have a picnic of hot dogs, beans, and macaroni salad."

"Mmm, yum. It'll taste like Renee!"

"Charlie," I complained, "I don't even wanna know where that came from, but okay."

"Sorry, man..."

"It's fine. See you tomorrow!"

"Bye, see ya."

I hung up and pressed the number one to speed-dial Esme. Her soft and angelic voice came on the line right away. "Hi, Carlisle..."

"Esme! I just called Charlie and asked him if he and Renee were available to double date with us tomorrow for the Fourth of July."

"And...?" she pressed.

"They are! All four of us will be watching the fireworks together and having a picnic. Won't that be fun?"

"Yes! Yes, it will be. Our favorite couple friends!" she squealed happily.

"I know! Well, see you tomorrow!"

"Bye!"

I ended up making the food while Esme bought a huge, warm blanket for the four of us to sit on. Charlie took us all there and Renee was the photographer for the night. It worked out pretty well, and by seven in the evening, we were sitting on the blanket and I was serving everyone their plates. Charlie and I stuffed our faces while Renee and Esme just rolled their eyes at us and laughed.

"Carlisle, calm down, the fireworks haven't even started yet! Don't you want to eat during the show?" Esme asked.

"Yeah, but this is good!" I mumbled through a bite.

"You're an excellent cook, Cullen!" Charlie patted my back and Renee wiped some food off of his lips.

"Thanks, dude."

"I'm with my husband there!" Renee agreed.

"Ditto!" Esme said.

"I'm glad you think so," I said, pleased.

An hour later, we finished eating and then Renee brought out her camera. She took several pictures of Esme and I together, her and Esme having girl time, Charlie and I having guy time, and I took a shot of Renee and Charlie enjoying a sweet husband-and-wife moment. We started taking silly pictures until the fireworks began.

Charlie leaned back on his elbows but then stretched out his arm so Renee could lay by his side with his arm around her midsection. I decided to copy him and pull Esme into my arms after she put her sweatshirt on. Charlie put some of the blanket on top of Renee's bare legs since she was freezing, and I gathered some of the material to cover Esme's legs with.

"I don't want you to get cold," I explained to her.

"Oh, I'm okay...I'm sorry I wore shorts..."

"That's fine. Did you bring jeans?"

"I should have, but I guess I forgot."

"All right, well, you're warm enough with the blanket, aren't you?"

She snuggled into my side. "Yes," she murmured before rolling over and groaning.

I draped my arm over her belly like Charlie was doing with Renee and jumped when I felt something unfamiliar, round, and hard under her shirt. She must have sensed my movement, since she looked back over her shoulder at me.

"What's wrong?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Nothing..."

"Do you want me to get up?"

"No, no, I like you in my arms...come here."

She relaxed and snuggled back into my embrace. We looked up at the sky and watched the fancy, colorful sparks shoot across the black background. It was a spectacular show.

I noticed that with each boom, Esme smoothed her hand down her belly and sometimes massaged it. Absentmindedly, I started tracing circles around the lump under her shirt and she sighed. "Mmm, that feels nice..."

My light strokes turned ticklish apparently, because she started giggling. She yanked my hands off her and pushed herself up with a moan. "Sorry..." I apologized.

"It's fine! That is just a very sensitive spot for me...oh can you give me a back rub? I feel sore!"

"Sure, anything."

I massaged her aching muscles in her back, arms, and finally, held her hands and pulled her back down to me.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I finally connected the dots while we were cuddling. The overeating, the heaviness, the crazy emotions...Anne revealing to me that there was something I should know about her daughter. I counted back to when she'd been raped. It had been roughly four months...she was probably pregnant. But why didn't she tell me? I chose not to call her out on it until she was ready to spill her secret. The poor woman had enough to deal with right now.

The baby's father was probably Charles, and if not him, it had to have been one of his friends. I would be the best father imaginable to that baby, if only we lived under the same roof or were married.

Clapping startled me and I realized the show was over. Everyone was getting up, but Esme stayed down. She held her hands up to me. "Help me up?"

"Oh yeah, sure." I pulled her to her feet and kept my hand on her back for support.

"You're acting different," she noticed aloud. "Quieter than usual."

"I just don't have anything to say, except that red, white and blue looks good on you."

"Oh, thanks," she murmured with a blush. "It's okay if you're having a shy moment."

We walked behind Renee and Charlie in silence and sat in the back when Charlie drove us home. He turned on music to avoid the awkwardness. Esme leaned on my shoulder as if she was very tired.

"You had a good night, didn't you?" she whispered while she rubbed her belly. I saw Renee smile in the rearview mirror and Charlie quirk an eyebrow up at me. I pretended not to know what she was talking about.

When he dropped me off, I hugged Esme goodbye and gave my friends fist-bumps. I jogged to my front door and unlocked it with my keys. Emmett was already inside.

"Dad! Lily and Will took me, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper to see the fireworks, and Anne went with us too! It was so much fun!" he chattered.

"That's great, son. My double date with Esme, Renee, and Charlie was awesome too. But guess what?"

"What?"

"I think Esme's pregnant! How would you feel about us and Esme and Alice becoming a family if the opportunity arose?"

"She never mentioned that to me before! That would be awesome!"

The next day, my phone rang just after I made breakfast for Emmett and myself. "Hello?"

"It's Lily. You know, Rosalie and Jasper's and Emmett's birthdays are two days apart?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's take the kids out to the Mariners evening baseball game in Seattle on July eighth, right in the middle of their birthdays. Esme, Alice, and Anne can come too. I know how much the boys like baseball, and Rosalie is a fan, although she won't admit it. "

"Oh, good idea! You and I can chip in for the tickets."

"Yes, and Will, too."

"It's settled, then."

"Okay, bye."

I hung up and decided to keep this a secret from Emmett. Luckily, he wasn't around when I was talking to Lily. I called Esme after I ate my breakfast while Emmett was eating breakfast in his room while watching cartoons.

"Hello?" Esme answered sweetly.

"Hey, Es, guess who this is?"

She giggled. "I know it's you, Carlisle. Your name comes up on my iPhone when you contact me."

"Busted," I muttered, trying to be upset that she caught me.

"Yep! So, what's up?"

"The sky," I joked and she laughed. "No, I was just wondering if you, Alice, and your mom want to go to an evening baseball game in Seattle on July eighth for Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie's birthdays. Lily, Will, and I are chipping in to buy all of us tickets."

"We'd love to. I'll pay for my own ticket, and Alice's as well. Mom probably will insist she's buying her own ticket as well, so there's no way you'll be paying for us. We're not really part of it since neither of our birthdays are coming up. Mine already passed, and so did Alice's. Mom's is far away from now."

"But I invited you three. I'll just pay for half of your tickets, okay?"

"Sure, thanks!"

"No problem."

"I'll make sure we bring money for snacks, too."

"Excellent idea. See you then. Also, dress in navy blue, silver, and northwest green!"

"We will. Bye!"

"Good bye."

Emmett invited Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper over to his house for his birthday. I made him a chocolate cake and decorated it with a white baseball on top which was part of the frosting. We devoured it instantly after singing him "Happy Birthday". He was happy about finally being eleven. I gave him a baseball cap and he never took it off.

When I dropped off Alice and we said our goodbyes to each other, I heard Esme and Anne talking loudly and excitedly.

"Yeah, so I'm having a girl! What should I name her? I was thinking of Anna, Linda, Natalie, Samantha, Katherine...but then I thought, gee, those names sound so _boring_!"

"Katie Elizabeth?" Anne suggested.

"I like Elizabeth as a middle name...but Katie is too modern. How about Cynthia Elizabeth?"

"That sounds...unique. You don't hear the name Cynthia very often."

"Well, how many times have you heard the name Esme? Yeah, I thought so. I love uncommon names! They rock!"

"Cynthia Elizabeth, all the way!" Anne cheered.

"Yay!" Esme squealed adorably.

Alice had already disappeared in the other room, so I probably looked like an idiot standing there on Esme's foyer and eavesdropping. I had my exact answer.

Yes, she was definitely pregnant. That was when I decided to leave.

The idea struck me randomly. I'd get her a ring first thing tomorrow morning and propose to her in the next few days. I grinned at the thought of the five of us being a family, including the little baby.

Hey, bud," I said to Emmett, "tomorrow, I'm going to propose to Esme."

"Wow, well, good luck! I need a mom! Hurry up!" he laughed.

"You'll have to wait until tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?"

"I would love to!"

On the morning of the surprise baseball game, I practically sprang out of bed and woke up Emmett. I sent a quick text to Renee, asking for Esme's ring size. She told me it was a five. I thanked her and Emmett and I were off to buy Esme a ring!

"What kind of rings does Esme like?" Emmett asked me when we were in the store.

"She likes flashy jewelry, so she probably likes sparkly rings...like this one." I picked up a silver ring with a pink, shiny jewel in the middle. "But it's a size six, so I'm not getting this one."

I went through about fifteen rings, which were all either too expensive, not her size, or not pretty enough for her finger. Hours later, I found the perfect one. It was a size five and five hundred bucks. The glittering center stone was wedged between two round white diamonds in prong settings, and the shoulders were lined with an endless sparkle of diamonds The gold band had the words _true love never dies_ on the inside.

"It's good for her!" Emmett pointed out. "Get it, Dad!"

"I will!" I got the saleslady and showed her the ring I wanted. "Hello, I'd like this engagement ring."

She picked it out for me. "Here you go, sir. Would you like this in a black box or a white box?"

"Black, please."

"Alrighty, then. Five hundred dollars."

I handed over my credit card as Emmett's mouth opened wide. "Whoa, you're rich."

"It's only on a credit card. Don't forget, I'm a doctor," I smirked at him. "Thank you, ma'am."

"You're welcome."

I left the store with a huge smile on my face. Emmett followed me giddily and talked all about how he was going to be the ring bearer. It was cute, actually. I kept the box safely in my sock drawer. She'd never find it.

Later that evening, we parents acted perfectly natural, like nothing was happening. When I told Emmett to wear blue jeans and his northwest green sweatshirt and a white shirt, he got a bit suspicious.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, nowhere special," I lied.

He shook his head. "Yeah, right!" I was glad he didn't push it further.

I picked up Esme, Alice, and Anne. The kids sat in the back with Esme's mom while Esme sat next to me. We were quiet on the ride to the city and I almost laughed when Emmett spotted the entrance to the baseball field. His grin was a mile wide.

"Wow, we're going to a Mariners game? Sweet!"

"Happy birthday, Emmett!" I exclaimed.

"This is the first time we've been to the city together with the kids, you know," Esme pointed out.

"Seattle's pretty," Anne added. "This is my first time being here."

"I wish we had cameras!" Alice shouted.

"Don't worry, I have one," I let her know. Her face lit up.

"Cool! The Hales came with us! They're behind us, Dad!"

"I know. This was Lily's idea, so make sure you thank her, okay?"

"Okay!" When I unlocked the car doors, he practically jumped out and ran towards Rosalie to give her a hug. Jasper hi-fived him and they both hollered, "Baseball!"

"One, two, three strikes you're out, at the old ball game!" Rosalie sang.

"Yay!" Alice screamed.

I snapped a picture of the kids by the ballpark and then Lily took a photo of Esme and I, so I took a photo of her and Will. Anne took a picture of the eight of us. We all looked alike with our matching colors. Esme had on a northwest green top, white pants, and a navy blue sweatshirt. She looked great, and I told her so.

"Everyone, walk in pairs. It's easy to get lost in a big city like this one," Lily directed us. She and Will were in the lead, and her hands were full with the handles of Will's wheelchair. Anne walked behind them and held Alice's and Emmett's hands. Rosalie joined hands with Emmett, while Jasper grabbed Alice's hand. The four kids rushed to keep up with the adults. Esme and I were in the back, making sure nobody got lost. We looked straight in front of us, but the kids looked everywhere, pointing out every kind of person there was on the streets.

"Don't stare at the homeless people!" Anne scolded them.

"But that guy looks like a dog!" Rosalie whispered loudly. The other children giggled.

The person on the ground that was obviously on drugs or drunk stopped bicycling his legs and glared at us. "Woof!"

"Okay, could we walk faster?" Lily asked. Esme looked behind us to make sure the guy wasn't running after us or anything. Thankfully, we didn't get chased.

Our seats were right in front and I was sitting between Esme and Emmett. On the other side of Esme was Alice and Anne. The Hales were on the other side of Emmett. We bought hot dogs, garlic fries, and popcorn and then the game started, along with the madness of all the sports fans around us.

The Mariners won, much to our delight. After we got out of the crowded bleachers, the kids declared, "That was the best present ever! Yaaaay! Thank you!"

We were walking back to our cars when Esme began clinging onto my arm. I held her protectively as she murmured, "It's dark and scary out here!"

"Hey, you're with me, I'll never let you get hurt."

"I haven't been laid in a while!" some guy leaning on a brick wall jeered as we went down a long alleyway. "Come here, little lady!" The man was smoking pot and beckoning Esme toward him. It got my protective mode into gear. I growled low under my breath.

"Oh god!" Esme wailed with her face buried in my chest. I simply held her tighter and hurried past the man.

"Shit, you're no fun! Hey kids, let's play a game!"

"Oh, hell no!" Anne hissed.

"I will roll this wheelchair over you if you don't stop!" Lily warned him.

He picked up his yellow blanket and put it over himself like it was a cape. We were far away from him and almost at the end of the alley.

"Phew!" we breathed sighs of relief.

Our shoes slapped against the pavement and then the wheelchair got stuck on something. Lily struggled to move it and just seconds later, it was free.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed as she tripped over something.

"Ow!" someone shrieked and then coughed. We jumped in shock because an outstretched hand was laying on the sidewalk and the person attached to it was wrapped in a comforter like a burrito. The figure moved and we just stood there.

It was just a young girl with long black hair and wide blue eyes, probably a teenage runaway around fourteen years old. She looked pissed. I would be too, if someone stepped on me.

"Hey!" she yelled. "You fuckers, what are you doing, stepping on a street girl?"

"Oh no, honey, I'm so sorry!" Lily stammered. "I'm Lily, by the way, and this is my husband, Will."

The girl yawned and rubbed her eyes open. "I was sleeping...it's not very comfortable here...maybe I should move out of people's way." She started lazily gathering up her things.

"She's gonna run again!" Jasper pointed out.

"Let's talk to her!" Alice said with a smile. "Hi! I'm Alice and I'm seven."

The girl didn't even get to respond because Rosalie introduced herself and Jasper. "It's our ninth birthday tomorrow! Our parents took us out to the ball game for our birthday!"

"Yeah, I smell hot dogs and fries on you...garlic fries?" The poor girl drooled.

"Mm-hm! And it was my birthday too, yesterday! I'm Emmett and I'm eleven," my son said proudly.

"Wow," the girl sighed wistfully, "you four are lucky. Your parents are so nice to do that for you. I wish I had your lives. It was really great to meet you...hey, sit down here with me."

"We have to report her to the cops, guys," I muttered.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Will whispered.

Esme stared at the girl and sucked in a gasp. "Carlisle, she's innocent. She's only a baby. They'll send her back to her parents, I just know it! Why don't you ask for her information and let Charlie know about her? He and Renee have been wanting to adopt for a long time now, ever since Bella left them."

"That makes sense, actually!" Anne said.

When I bent down to the young girl's level, I took a closer look at her. I noticed that her hair was wild and matted, and her clothes were dingy and raggedy. She was gaunt and malnutritioned. I wondered when the last time she saw a doctor was.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Elizabeth," she choked out.

"Elizabeth...do you have a last name?"

"Biers...but I just go by Elizabeth." She looked up at me under heavy eyelids.

"Okay...how old are you?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm nine." Shock ran through me since she looked a lot older than nine.

"Nine," Esme whimpered from above me.

"How long have you been out here?"

"A week. I was abandoned at birth, abused by my foster father, and I finally got sick of it, so I escaped and I've been hiding in the corner of this alley."

"Thank you. My friend is a cop, so I will call him-"

"No, please! Don't send me to a dangerous foster home or an orphanage!" she begged, gripping my arm tightly. "I've been to too many of them. I want a family who actually wants a little girl to play with and take care of, not someone to hurt." Her blue eyes held so much pain and they were filled with tears.

"Trust me. My friend is a good man. He and his wife will treat you like their own daughter. They want a child to love."

"I don't even know you." Elizabeth sniffled. "How do I know this isn't a stupid scam?"

"Hey, my dad doesn't lie!" Emmett cut in.

"And I'm a doctor, too. I can help you until my friend gets here."

"Who's that lady behind you? She's pretty."

I smiled. "That's Esme, my...best friend. I'm going to call my friend and you can talk to Esme, okay?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Sure."

I dialed Charlie's work number and he picked up.

"Chief Swan."

"It's Carlisle. Listen, we found this girl on the way back from the Mariners baseball game in Seattle. Her name is Elizabeth Biers and she's nine years old. She's a runaway and refuses to live in a foster home or orphanage since they treated her badly there many times before. She needs a stable family environment..."

He stopped me before I could finish. "Hold it right there. This is Renee's and my dream come true. Bring her to our house as soon as possible! We'll have to be approved by the Child Protective Services, but she can stay here for the night. Get her out of the cold and hurry back to Forks!"

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

I put my phone back in my pocket and glanced down at Esme and Elizabeth. They were talking quietly and hugging. This was a great start. Esme took Elizabeth's hand while I grabbed Esme's other hand and the bag full of Elizabeth's stuff. We continued to Lily's and my car and I threw the bag in my trunk. The Hales went into Lily's car after we hugged them goodbye. Esme and Anne sat in the back with Alice and Elizabeth nestled in between the two women. Esme bundled both little girls in blankets that were heated from being in the car, Anne hummed them a song, and Emmett was in the passenger seat next to me. We drove Elizabeth to Charlie's house. It took a while and I didn't realize Elizabeth was sleeping on Esme's lap. Alice had her head on Anne's legs. The scene was too sweet to interrupt, but we were here, so I had to.

"Emmett, stay here with Alice and Anne. Esme, would you mind carrying Elizabeth to Charlie's door?" I asked her in a hushed voice. "I'll bring her bag."

"I can do that," Esme agreed. She gently picked up Elizabeth and cradled her in her arms while she got out of my car. I lifted the bag out of my trunk and together, we walked to Charlie's door. I knocked and rang the doorbell.

"How are you holding up?" I asked Esme, worried that Elizabeth was too heavy.

"I'm fine. This girl is too light for her age."

"She needs food in her stomach."

"Clearly."

The door swung wide open and Renee looked at us excitedly. "Come in, come in! Oh, she's darling! Such a precious little angel."

Esme put her index finger to her lips. "Shh, she's sleeping."

"Sorry," Renee apologized. "Lay her on the guestroom bed we set up for her!" she instructed her best friend. I set Elizabeth's bag on the rug and Esme went upstairs. Charlie joined us a little later and he thanked us.

We went home after dropping off Esme, Anne, and Alice. I went to sleep almost immediately.

_"Carlisle...Carlisle! Come to me, baby boy! You feel so good!" __Nails scratched on my bedroom door as the witchy voice went on. "You love your mommy, don't you? Say it, please you love me with all your heart! I want your babies! I want you! I want you to fuck me hard against everything tangible there is! I want you so bad! Let me in!" She was suddenly on top of me and my dad came in.  
><em>

_"Carlisle, get off your mother, you sick psycho!" he roared.  
><em>

_"Oh, Laurent!" she moaned breathily. "Get in between us!"  
><em>

_"I sure will, Irina..."  
><em>

_I felt her cold hands holding me still, and my father, who looked nothing like us, was glaring at me like I was the devil.  
><em>

_"You will die, you pig. Go to hell!"  
><em>

_I was engulfed in flames while I screamed bloody murder._

I woke up sweating. "Oh, Jesus Christ! Only a dream...only a dream..." I fell back in my bed, sighed deeply, and shut my eyes again.

"Dad! Dad! What's wrong? I heard you yelling!" Emmett called out from his room.

"Never mind, Em. I just had a nightmare...forget it. Good night!"

"Night!"

That was a horrible dream to have the night before I was going to propose to Esme! It gave me bad omens, but I didn't let it ruin my morning or afternoon. I told her to wear a cute summer dress since I was putting on black pants and a dark red shirt. We had a picnic under the sun and I put a pink flower in her hair to match her dress. She loved it.

"You're acting very strange again," she noticed aloud. "Really, what is _up_ with you?"

I casually picked the black box out of my pocket while we were still sitting on the grass and finishing up our ham and cheese sandwiches. She glanced at it quizzically.

"Esme...you look pretty in pink," I complimented her. "The flower's nice in your hair, too."

"Oh. Thank you."

"I want to do this traditionally, so please stand up."

"Um, okay?" She got up and I balanced myself on one knee.

"You are the light of my life. I can't live without you. Ever since I saw you, I was in love. Will you marry me?"

Esme gasped. Her facial expressions ranged from horror to surprise to happiness. She giggled and blushed. I laughed nervously. It was beginning to feel awkward being on one knee.

"What? Marry you? You want me to...marry you, Carlisle?" She bit her lip.

"Yes!" I said, almost too quickly.

"I can't believe you're seriously asking me this."

"So, what do you say?"

"I..."

**Happy Fourth of July!**

**3 reviews til I hit 300! Wow, thank you all for reading and reviewing: TeamCullenx, K.K. Fush, that kiwi chick, CarlisleandEsme, MrsCarlisleCullen13, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, Just4Me, TheMortician'sDaughter, Msoxcookie, and Caresme'sChild! The 300th reviewer gets a sneak peek of the next chapter :D**


	30. Denial

****Thank you to my beta, K.K. Fush and my prereader, TheMortician'sDaughter!****

Esme POV

I thought about it. I really did. That ring was perfect. I wanted to be tied to Carlisle forever since there was no other man that I really liked all that much. I wanted his hugs and kisses every time he came home from work. I wanted to wear a white dress and have a bachelorette party. I wanted to be Mrs. Esme Anne Cullen.

All of that was sugar, spice, and everything nice. But was I actually _ready_? Why hadn't he kissed me yet? What if, on our wedding night, he expected me to have sex with him? What if he got bored of me a few years into our marriage? Did he really love me? We met ten months ago. How would he know if he wanted us to be together all of our lives? I gulped when I figured out that the cons had outweighed the pros.

I sighed and focused my eyes on my toes. "I'm really sorry, but no! We're not even a couple yet and we've only known each other for ten months."

"That's okay. I understand. It was stupid of me to even think of asking in the first place." Carlisle turned around and took our lunches with him while he walked away from me.

I saw him toss the ring on the ground and disappear out of the park. I could tell he was mad, so I tried following him and calling his name, but it was no use. He was so far gone that I couldn't see even a glimpse of him anymore. I heard his car speed away and now, I had no ride back to my house. I spotted the ring on the pavement, so I sighed and picked it up. I felt terrible about the situation, so I texted him a message that told him I was sorry. He never responded.

I slid the ring on my finger, just out of curiosity. It fit very well and it shimmered against my hand. I would treat it like a promise ring and surprise him with it the next time I saw him.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed angrily. "How do I get out of here? Well, no shit, I'll call Mom. Renee's busy with Elizabeth...oh, now I'm talking to myself. Great!" I dialed her number on my cell phone.

"Hello?" she answered after a couple of rings.

"Can you please pick me up? I'm stranded in the damn park!" I nearly screamed. "I should never have done this! I wouldn't have agreed to go if I knew what he was going to do!" I burst into tears.

"What happened, sweetie? I'll kill him!"

"He didn't do anything wrong, he just proposed to me!"

"I don't understand," she muttered flatly.

"I said no! I broke his heart! Then, he left me! God, I'm such an idiot!"

There was a long silence. "Mom, are you still there?"

"Esme, why did you do that?"

"I'm not ready to be a wife!"

"That decision was not one of your best."

"Well, it was my choice. I'm still like a teenager! I can't be a Mrs. if I still dance to love songs in my bedroom while getting ready for a date with my best friend who I don't even know if I'm romantically in love with!"

"I'm on my way. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

I sat on a park bench and took a few shaky breaths. "Oh, God, what have I done..." I whispered to myself in a cracked voice.

Mom picked me up and I asked her to take me to Renee's, since I didn't want Alice to see me upset. When we got to her house, I quickly ran to her door and rang her doorbell. Renee opened up the door and I was welcomed by yelling in the background.

"Finally, you're here. What, you said no to him?"

"How do you know what happened?"

"Carlisle came here and started screaming at Charlie about how you were such a bitch to dump him like that. Can we get out of here? I took Elizabeth to Lily's house to play with Rosalie and Jasper so she could be away from all the noise, but it was still there when I came back! I can't get away from it! Ugh!" Renee threw up her hands in frustration.

"Well, why don't you drive us to my house? We can play with Alice or something."

"Okay, there's a suggestion! Wait a second...why do you have a ring on your finger if you said no to Carlisle?"

"I found it on the ground after he threw it and decided to wear it as a promise ring. I feel committed to him even though we're not together."

"You guys should have talked about your future before this happened."

"How would I know Carlisle would propose to me? I didn't think I had to warn him that I wasn't ready for marriage. I thought he knew already!"

"Well, apparently, he didn't."

"He wasn't this forward with me until now! He said he'd wait! He lied! Why did he do that to me?" I wailed.

"He's in love with you?" Renee posed her statement as a question.

"If he was so in love with me, then he should have let me make the first move! Forget it, I never want to mention it again."

I cleaned the makeup off my face and streaks of black slid down my cheeks like tears.

That night, we watched chick flicks while stuffing ourselves with ice cream. I felt so depressed that I didn't care how much I was eating and how stupid I looked in front of my best friend. I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Renee tried having a pillow fight with me at our sleepover, but I didn't even smile. I was horrible company.

Weeks passed and I still didn't have contact with Carlisle. I even went to his house once, but nobody was home, so I checked every single day. I had a spark of hope when I saw Emmett riding his bike with Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice. It faded when I asked him where his father was and he told me he went to London for awhile, so Emmett was living with the Hales. I was a mess. I dyed my hair black to fit my mood. I couldn't even look in the mirror without crying. I hated myself so much.

It was almost the end of July and I searched around my house for something to hurt myself with. It didn't matter how much I damaged myself, since he was never going to come back. My heart was so broken that I couldn't feel the knife slice my skin. I only saw the blood and cleaned it up so nobody would scold me for cutting myself. That would leave a scar on my side. At least I didn't kill the baby. I sank down on a couch and curled up in the fetal position until my mom woke me up.

"What?" I snapped.

"You haven't been out of the house in forever. All you do is sulk. Why don't you do an errand for me?"

"Whatever. I need fresh air anyways."

She handed me a grocery list and gave me some money to take the bus into town. I walked sluggishly to the bus stop and got on when it came. I went all the way to the back and sat down by myself.

I could fall asleep on this bus and just get off at the very last stop. I wanted to be lost in the world, literally. I wanted something interesting to happen to me. I didn't care whether it was good or bad, I just needed some spice in my life.

I could become a stripper..._no, don't think like that, Esme! You're not a whore! Just get off at your correct stop and buy groceries! Then, come right back home!_

I sighed and listened to the better part of my conscience. A cooing sound became known when I felt someone plop down next to me. I turned to see a young woman around eighteen bouncing a little baby girl on her lap. The child reached out her hands to me and babbled.

"Hi, there," I said with a smile.

The young woman stroked the baby's hair. "Say hi..."

"Mama!" The baby patted her mom's face.

_Eighteen year old mother...well, I was one too, so...I don't know her story. Don't judge her._

The bus slowly came to a halt and I looked out the window that I was leaning against. It was my stop, so I left the bus. Everyone seemed to be staring at me. I kept my eyes down while shopping for groceries and getting on the next bus back to my house.

I was so tired and worn out. The baby was weighing me down and I had too many bags to carry. I heard one of them drop on the dirty bus floor. Groaning, I started to pick it back up, but someone beat me to it. I saw his hand wrapped around the handles and his other hand supporting the bottom of the bag. He gave it to me and I settled it down next to me. I tried to scoot over towards the middle of the two seats so there would be less room for him, but he sat down anyway.

_Go away. Please, just go away._

The man kept boring his eyes on my face and then glancing towards my belly. He looked genuinely concerned, but I didn't want anyone's pity. I had myself to blame.

"Can I help you?" I asked when I finally had enough and couldn't ignore him any longer.

"Wow, you're lovely...that guy should not have left you!"

"I don't have a guy!" I said immediately, but then my heart clenched in pain.

"What asshole would just leave you like that?" he asked me.

"This other guy's really helping me out though," I lied, so he would leave me alone. _Well, Carlisle _used _to help me out. But now, he's gone..._

"Where is he?"

I couldn't speak. I was so choked up and I could feel the tears coming. Still, I stated harshly, "That's really none of your business, is it?"

The man was stunned as I grabbed my bags and ran to my house, away from the awkwardness. I left the bags on the counter, rushed upstairs as fast as I could, and dove under my covers so I could let all my sadness out.

I must have stayed there forever, until a little body curled up next to me. "Mommy..."

"Alice..." I mumbled.

"I've missed you! You never want to talk to me or Grandma or even Renee anymore! What's up with you?"

"You haven't really had a conversation with me for a while, either."

"I was afraid you'd smack me across the face! You looked really upset."

"I'd never hurt you. Didn't Emmett tell you already?"

"You said no to Carlisle. Emmett and I were so excited for a wedding, but you ruined it! I wanted to be the flower girl!"

"You would have been a cute flower girl, sweetheart."

"Then why did you say no?"

"I wasn't ready, okay?" I confessed defeatedly.

My mom must have overheard us talking because she came in my room and asked, "What's there to be ready for? You could have said yes and then taken your time to plan the wedding."

"I mean I wasn't emotionally prepared to be tied to Carlisle for life," I explained.

"But you're sad! If you said yes, you'd be happy!" Alice cried.

I pushed my hair out of my wet face and wiped my palm across my eyes. "I know that, baby. I just felt like he was rushing me, that's all...I needed time to think. I wasn't even aware that he wanted to marry me. We haven't kissed since the end of February."

Alice's eyes widened. "That long?"

"Yeah, I...I didn't feel comfortable being romantically involved with him if I was still acting like a child."

"He was helping you heal, though," Mom protested.

"And I wanted a nice daddy!" Alice pouted.

"I know! I know, okay? You don't have to tell me twice." I sniffled.

"Why are you wearing the ring he gave you?" my daughter asked me.

"I'm keeping it as a memory of Carlisle...what I meant to him...god, I loved him so much. He was the man of my dreams and I...let him go." Mom smiled down at me sympathetically and Alice lightly patted my shoulder.

"Mommy, do you want a hug?"

"A hug? Yes, darling..."

Her arms wrapped around my waist and I held her close to my side. She slept with me until we got hungry and had a midnight snack. Mom was already out of my room and asleep, so I guess she'd given up on me.

Alice made me an ice cream sundae and I shared it with her. We went back to bed after that and closed our eyes until the afternoon sun hit us both.

"Hey, sleepy people..." I felt someone nudging us awake.

"Mom..." I sighed and rubbed my eyes open. "We were tired."

"Good morning, Grandma!" my daughter said cheerfully.

"What should we do today, my girls?" She sat on the side of my bed and Alice crawled in her lap. I yawned and leaned against Mom.

"Maybe stuff for the baby!" Alice piped up.

"Since we know the baby is a girl, we should paint her room pink," I decided. "Let's get the supplies today, Mom."

"That's a great idea. Want to come with us, Alice?"

"Yes!" Alice said cheerfully, and I laughed. She was turning into a mini shopaholic, which was hilarious for a girl her age.

"We can also find colorful blocks with the letters of her name on it!" I added. "It can be set up as a display on top of her dresser!"

Soon, we ate a delicious brunch of scrambled eggs with ketchup on top, bacon, and toast with peanut butter spread on top and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Once we were in the store, we found tons of cute dresses and hair bows in every color of the rainbow for baby Cynthia. There was even a crib on sale. Today was our lucky day. We even ran into Renee and Elizabeth in the kids' section.

"Girls day out?" I asked my best friend.

She nodded. "Looks like you three are having one too."

"Buying stuff for the baby!" Alice explained. "I'm gonna have a little sister! Yay!"

"Yes, you are, sweetheart," I said and ruffled her hair affectionately. "How are you, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth looked at the floor shyly. She was holding Renee's hand tightly and clinging onto her waist.

"Can you say hi, baby? It's Esme, remember her? She carried you to your bed in our house." Renee spoke softly to her adopted daughter. "She's not used to being in a crowded mall."

"It's okay. It's common for children who have PTSD," I answered.

"She screamed and cried when she first got her period, yesterday."

"What? But she's so little!"

"She's an early bloomer, I guess. She's in a lot of pain unless she's on Advil."

"I see."

Elizabeth waved at me. "Esme, I got a lot of clothes and toys with Renee. She's really nice!"

"Yes, she is." I knelt down to her level and raised my hand to run my fingers through her hair. Elizabeth immediately shielded herself and let out a whimper. She fell to the ground and pulled her knees up to her chest in a guarded position, similar to the one I was in at her age many times.

"Lizzie, don't be scared. Esme won't hurt you," Renee whispered and sat down on the floor. The girl jumped into Renee's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck. I heard her crying openly and my heart broke right down the middle.

"Oh, god, I made your daughter cry..." I covered my mouth and turned away from the scene.

"It's not your fault. She thought you were going to hit her."

"I was going to stroke her hair."

"I know, but she's traumatized. It's even worse with Charlie and other men. She runs and hides under the bed when she sees him and I'm not there. You have to be gentle with her and let her make the first move. She's just a mama's girl for now."

"I'm sorry for surprising her and scaring her," I murmured.

"Try talking to her calmly."

"I will."

My mom left us so she could buy the rest of the baby stuff with Alice, so I was alone with Renee and Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, darling, can you please look up?" I requested.

She sniffled and hid her face behind her black curtain of hair. I stared at Renee while I played with some of Elizabeth's hair. She seemed to calm down after that. I breathed a sigh of relief when she moved her hair from her face.

"Esme, do you like my dress? I picked it out all by myself!" She got up from Renee's lap and spun around in her black dress with a purple ribbon tied around her middle.

"Yes, it's very beautiful, sweetie. I apologize for what happened earlier."

"It's nothing. I should have known you wouldn't hit me. You're too nice!"

"I know how you feel. When I was nine, my uncle hurt me, and I was afraid of everyone, except for Renee."

Her eyes widened. "Really? My foster dad died and my foster mom remarried some dumb guy who liked to play around with me, so that's why I ran away. Nobody listens to children."

"Evil people don't listen to children," I corrected her. "I wish I ran away when I was nine. Then, my life wouldn't have been so hard. But it's pretty good now! I wished upon this little hole in my black cloth that covered the metal cage I was forced to sleep in as a child, and pretended that hole was a star. My dream of having someone to protect me came true."

"The happiest night I've ever had was on the Fourth of July. I saw all the fireworks this year! I made a wish that someone would come and save me from my life, and that I would get a loving family. It worked! I'd never seen a sight so gorgeous in my life, and you and those other people came at the right time! I finally feel like Renee and Charlie are my dream parents since my real mom was on drugs and Renee is the reincarnation of my aunt!"

"Awww!" Renee said softly and kissed the top of her daughter's head.

"We're so glad to have met you!" Alice said and gave Elizabeth a hug.

"Me too!" Then, she gasped and grabbed my hand. "Oooh, that ring is so pretty!"

"Thank you." I glanced at it and smiled fondly.

"Who gave that to you?"

"Carlisle. He asked me to marry him."

"Who's Carlisle, that guy who was with you?"

"Yes."

"What does marry mean?"

"It means you live with a person in the same house forever, and you kiss and hug them, and you love them with all your heart. You have a wedding ceremony to celebrate the joining of two people. It can happen anywhere, and both the bride's family and the groom's family are invited. The bride is the woman, and the groom is the man. Their closest friends or family members can participate in the wedding, such as being the bridesmaid, best man, flower girl, or ring bearer. The rest of the people come as guests. Everyone dresses in their best attire, or clothes, and it's a lot of fun," I explained as best as I could.

"Oh cool! When's the wedding? Can I come?"

I laughed halfheartedly at her eagerness. Renee looked down at her sadly.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I said no to him, and I haven't seen him for a few weeks since."

Elizabeth's mouth opened slightly. "Why? He's nice."

"I'm just...really screwed up. I needed time."

"Oh well, I hope he comes back soon!"

"Same here, sweetheart. Same here."

"Esme, let's get the paint!" I heard my mom say above me. "Renee, Elizabeth, do you want to come with us?"

"Oh, sure!" Renee said joyfully.

Alice and Elizabeth took each of my hands and Elizabeth grabbed Renee's other hand. They skipped and pulled us along with them out of the store. My poor mom was the one who was holding all of our shopping bags. We went to the paint store that was across the street.

"Oooh, look at all the pretty colors!" Elizabeth squealed, which was amusing and cute at the same time.

"What's your favorite, Elizabeth?" Alice asked.

"I like dark purple."

"Cool. The best color in here is pink."

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. "Eeewww. Pink, pink, you stink."

"You're a tomboy? Me and Rosalie are girly!" Alice laughed.

"Hey, opposites attract!" Renee said. "But the fact that you tolerate each other's color choices represents true friendship!"

"Yeah, like Renee's loud and I'm quiet. We're best friends, we have been since I was a baby and she was fourteen."

"Whoa!" both girls shouted.

Mom stifled a laugh. "Okay, guys, let's decide which color pink would be best for the baby."

"Anne, she might be a tomboy like Lizzie here," Renee pointed out.

"I think she'd be girly like her mom," I disagreed.

"Maybe you should get a unisex color, then," Alice said. "Cynthia can always ask us to change it when she gets older and is able to tell us her preferences."

"Wait, who's Cynthia?" Elizabeth asked, totally confused.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you, but I'm having a baby," I quickly clarified.

"How are babies made?"

Renee sighed sharply. "Elizabeth, I thought we discussed this. A man and a woman join together and make magic. Don't you remember?"

"Right! Umm, Esme, who joined with you?"

"That's personal," I whispered and covered my face in humiliation.

"I apologize."

"It's fine."

"I found a few unisex colors...deep rose red, tropical bloom orange, golden castle yellow, meadow twilight green, pool party blue, and grape juice purple," Mom announced and pointed to each paint can. "What do you guys think?"

"Golden castle yellow," I chose. The others hummed in approval.

"That's perfect then," she smiled. "I'll buy it."

We hauled everything to my house and set up an unused room for the baby. We vacuumed the floor, dusted everywhere, and Renee opened a closet in there. Thousands of things spilled out, such as my old playpen, books, toys, dolls, and clothes.

"Wow, this is weird! I thought that bastard burned everything I owned!" I exclaimed.

"I guess not...well we can give this stuff to the baby!" Alice said happily.

"Hey, Esme, go get your computer, let's listen to music!" Renee told me.

I went upstairs and brought my computer down so I could set it up in the baby's room. "Let's party!" I shouted while starting the music.

We danced to the cool beat while we painted and put the crib near a window so the sun could shine down on my second daughter. We stuffed the dressers with clothes and toys. We placed the bookshelf on the other side of the crib and filled it with books that Cynthia could read when she became school-aged. Last but not least, we put the playpen in the middle of the floor and took out my old rocking chair. Mom hid this crap from Charles pretty well.

"It looks really nice!" Elizabeth announced when we were finished.

"She's gonna have the time of her life when she's in here," Renee agreed.

"Mommy, can Elizabeth sleep over here?" Alice asked.

"Sure she can. Renee can sleep over too!"

"Yay!" Renee squealed and clapped her hands.

"Wow, it's six already?" Mom said in a shocked tone. "Are any of you hungry?"

"I am, a little," I replied.

"Me too!" Alice chimed in.

"Me three!" Elizabeth went after her.

"Me four!" Renee spoke up.

"All right, what do you want?"

"Pasta!" we screamed excitedly.

"You guys have so much energy. I'll make it now!"

We giggled and I almost forgot I was missing my ex friend, boyfriend, whatever he considered himself as. We left the room and I took my computer with me when we ran up the stairs. I turned on some more music and we jumped on the bed while we sang the lyrics to some of my favorite songs. They were all kid-friendly, of course. We ate dinner a while later and then watched a hilarious chick flick without any romance whatsoever. Once we were back in my room, I watched Alice and Elizabeth whack each other with pillows. I couldn't join in, since I was pregnant and protecting my baby.

"Pillow fight!" Renee called out and the girls hit her with my pink pillows. I laughed out loud and recorded it with my computer.

"This is so going on YouTube!" I said loudly over the noise.

"One, two, three, four, I declare a poke war!" Alice said and poked Elizabeth's tummy. She giggled and got her revenge. They were soon on the floor, laughing like crazy people.

"Aw, come on, that's not fair!" Elizabeth whined.

"Yes it is! Go ahead, get me!" Alice shouted.

They chased each other around the house and then it was just Renee and I alone in my bedroom.

"Our daughters," she stated.

"Yep!" I chuckled. "They're pretty wild, huh?"

"Kinda like us! I can't wait until they get older. Oh, boy!"

"Wow, and then they start liking boys and going through all kinds of drama..."

"And being embarrassed of their parents...don't forget that!"

"Well, in Alice's and Cynthia's cases, they'll just be ashamed of their mom. They don't have a dad."

"I'm sure he'll come back."

"It's been almost a month, Renee," I moaned and leaned back on my pillow. "He's gone."

"Trust me, he probably just needs time to himself and loves you so much that he wants to give you space."

"I'm not comfortable with any romantic relationship right now."

"I know you're not, but I'm just saying...maybe third time will be the charm."

"That is, if he returns to Forks."

"He will!"

"You don't know that!"

"Hey, you're talking to someone who reunited with her ex husband...sixteen years later. Are you willing to wait that long?"

"You didn't reject his proposal. You guys had a bratty daughter and you had a little girl to take care of. I don't think you guys ever fell out of love...Carlisle probably fell out of love with me."

"I think he got tired of waiting. Did you two even talk about marriage?"

"No, we didn't."

"Did you tell him you were pregnant?"

"Not that either."

"You avoided the subject entirely?"

"Yes, I did. What's with the twenty questions here?"

"I'm just trying to find out what the hell went wrong. What could have made him want to propose to you so randomly and suddenly? You guys didn't even kiss or anything to show you were together...all you did was hold hands and flirt. You've only known each other for a short time, not even a year."

"Tell me about it! I don't know why he proposed to me either. It's just really weird!"

"Maybe he suspected you were hiding something from him? Did he possibly feel your baby bump?"

"I never let him touch it..." I trailed off until I remembered the time we were cuddling on the fourth of July. "Oh my god!" I said with a gasp. "He ran his hands over my belly! He must have felt it then and realized I wasn't telling him everything like best friends are supposed to do!"

"Aha! There it is. Usually when a man knows his girlfriend is pregnant, he leaves her. This guy is unique and very special. Carlisle wanted to marry you because you were having a baby!"

"Oh, wow..." I breathed out and rolled my eyes. "I'm such a loser."

"I'll try calling him, okay? I'll get him to come back for you. He's gotta give you one more chance!"

"Yes! Thank you so much!" I hugged her tightly.

"You're welcome. It's what best friends do for each other. And what are you gonna do about this if he does come back?"

"I'll tell him," I responded immediately.

"Good girl."

**OMG FANGIRLING MAJORLY HERE! PETER AND ELIZABETH PARTIED HARD LAST NIGHT AT THE SAN DIEGO COMIC CON AND SHE DRAPED HER LEGS OVER HIS WHILE DRUNK...AND THEIR PICTURES TOGETHER WERE INCREDIBLY HOT AND BREATHTAKING...AND OMG OMG OMG ELIZABETH SAID THERE IS AN INTENSE SCENE BETWEEN HER AND PETER (SO CARLISLE AND ESME GET A SCENE IN BREAKING DAWN PART 2) AND I JUST SAW A PICTURE OF ELIZABETH AND PETER...OH GOD WOW! SHE'S HIDING AGAINST HIS CHEST! YES YES YES YES YES YES YES! SNUGGLEBUNNIES! IM SO FUCKING HAPPY I COULD DIE. JUST SAYING. I CANNOT WAIT FOR NOVEMBER 16TH AND ON THAT NIGHT MANY THINGS WILL HAPPEN TO MY HEART...*fans self***

**I'm reeeeeeally sorry for the depressing chapter. Hope that little author's note above made up for it :D and things will get better soon (just in case you were planning on chasing me with a pitchfork)! I also hope you understand why Esme said no. You'd feel the same!**

**Oh...and in a future chapter little Elizabeth may meet some dude in her fourth grade class named Peter. Ah, young love :D and I did that on purpose...teeheehee!**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing: CarlisleandEsme, K.K. Fush, Caresme'sChild, TheMortician'sDaughter, Msoxcookie, Just4Me, that kiwi chick, TeamCarlislex, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, and MrsCarlisleCullen13!**

**And after my hella long author's note...**

**HAPPY FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH! I'm so smiley today. LOL. Even though it's Friday the thirteenth and supposed to be a bad luck day. That's a load of bullshit because I'm leaving on vacation today to my favorite aunt's house all the way in Boston so I'm gonna write the next chapter on the plane, and you know, all the Carlisle and Esme (Lizter) love that's been happening so far.**

**Oh god, *rolls eyes* enough with my rambling! Bye, now! *waves***


	31. Mistake

**Thank you K.K. Fush for beta'ing, and TheMortician'sDaughter for prereading!**

Carlisle POV

I was furious. Furious at Esme and myself. Why would she turn me down after everything I did for her? I felt sick to my stomach. I just had to leave this town, this state, and possibly even this country, so I could let my anger out in some hotel room. I'd punched my bag until my fists hurt, but that didn't make feel any better. I vented to Charlie and he couldn't figure out how to help me. I felt terrible when Emmett asked me how it went and I snapped at him that he wasn't getting a mother. I complained to Lily and Will, but they were sick of my ranting. They offered to take Emmett in so I could go on a needed vacation. Naturally, I agreed. After I packed and took Emmett to the Hales' place, I apologized for my nasty behavior and bid him goodbye.

I thought back to that last day in Forks. It had been a few weeks now, but the memory would never be forgotten. Everything in London reminded me of Esme - the Big Ben's chimes were like her voice, the English tea cookies and finger sandwiches were like her personality-cute and dainty, and the women's hairstyles were like hers. I could even see her face in every clear surface there was-whether it was a dish, the English Channel, or a blank television screen. The London Eye was a spectacular sight. I only wished that I'd brought Esme here. I wanted to go on that ferris wheel with her so desperately. It didn't help that she kept calling and texting me, either. They were all tearful apologies. I had to ignore her, though. The one that broke my heart the most was when she said she missed me and she was begging me to come back to her. I had to be strong, though. She was the one who basically dumped me, and here she was, acting like it was the other way around! I hated her because I loved her. It just made no sense whatsoever.

My phone vibrated for the first time in almost a month. It was Renee, so I could answer this call.

"Yes, Renee."

"Hi, Carlisle, I just want to let you know that you were foolish to just go off like that without letting Esme explain..."

"She told me she couldn't marry me because we'd only known each other for ten months! I've heard of couples marrying after three months of being friends! And I knew she was pregnant, but I didn't want to make assumptions or accusations!"

"You should have waited until she was ready to tell you. Well, you guys haven't kissed since the end of February, so it was a shock to her. Just come home and talk to her. You have no idea how much she needs you. Your love is her drug, like the Kesha song."

"I'll think about it," I said after a long pause.

"Sleep on it."

"Okay. Good bye, Renee."

"Bye."

I tossed my phone under my pillow and ordered room service while watching television. In the middle of eating a piece of cake, I realized that running away was a childish and immature thing to do and I didn't want to set that example for Emmett. Besides, I never really explored London all that much. This was useless to stay here, barely doing anything. I finished my cake and booked a red eye flight for Port Angeles.

"Cullen, party of one," the man announced and I got on my flight. I was next to a young woman and a little boy.

"Hey, mister, you want a cookie?" the boy asked me and reached over the woman's lap and held out a chocolate chip cookie towards me.

I chuckled at his outgoingness and shrugged. "Sure! Why not?"

"Peter, dear, we don't talk to..." the woman started, but when she looked at me, she smiled apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry, sir," she said in a flirty voice. "I'm Mayah McCumsey. And you are?"

I took a bite of the cookie. "Curious as to what you were gonna refer to me as."

"My son has a habit of talking to strangers. He likes to share his treats with them."

"How old is he? Cute kid."

"Thanks. He's eight and he's got mild Aspergers. He acts very young for his age. But sometimes he has big boy moments, don't you, Pete?"

"Yes, Mama!"

"You've got chocolate on your face, honey," Mayah murmured. She licked her finger and wiped his mouth. He finished his cookie and brushed his hands off on his jeans.

"Going back home?" I asked her.

"Yes, we live in Port Angeles, and he's transferring to Forks Elementary for the fourth grade, coming this fall. He used to go to school on the reservation, but he didn't feel like he fit in there."

"Forks Elementary will be perfect for him, since there are already some kids in his grade that I know are very nice and accepting."

"That's great! I can't believe we haven't met before. Where do you live, Seattle?"

"No, I live in Forks. I have an eleven year old son back home. He just turned eleven."

"God, they grow up so fast, don't they?"

"They certainly do."

"You never told me your name!" she said with a pout. "Oh, can I guess it?"

"It's a very odd name. You'll never figure it out."

"Aw, come on! At least let me try!" she protested.

"I'll give you some hints. It starts with a C and ends with an E."

"Umm...Cale?"

"Not even close."

"Darn!"

"The first part of my name is something you drive."

"Car..."

"Next part is something that is not the truth."

"Lie...oh my god, your name is Carlie? That's a strange name for a man! Are you gay?"

"You went too far ahead of yourself. I'm not gay. I don't have a woman's name."

"I'm sorry. Give me another hint."

"At a wedding, the bride walks down the..."

"Aisle! Your name is Carlisle!"

"Yes!"

"Oh wow, I never would have guessed that," she laughed.

"I'm not the only one with a strange name. I know a woman named Esme."

"That's not too weird. It can be short for Esmerelda."

"Her parents just named her Esme. And my son's name is Emmett. His friends are Rosalie and Jasper, and Esme's daughter's name is Alice."

"That is very interesting, but Rosalie is just a longer name for Rose, and Alice is the short form of Allison."

"I agree, but they were born with odd names!"

"I see!"

Peter fell asleep on his mother's lap, so she smoothed his dark hair back from his face and kissed his forehead. As the night went on, we too, closed our eyes.

"Carlisle, do you have a girlfriend?" she asked me quietly with her eyes still shut.

"Well, sort of, why?"

"My fiancée ditched me when he found out I had a child who was disabled. We met on a chat site and he decided to marry me, but when I rang the doorbell, he opened it, took one look at Peter, and closed the door in my face."

"Really? That's cruel."

"I know, right? First husband dies before getting to see his son, and now...I'm just too upset! Do you mind if I lean on you?"

I stared at her and it hit me. She looked a lot like Esme. "I couldn't say no to those innocent eyes."

She blushed. "Thank you. Can you hold me? I don't want to accidentally fall on your lap."

"Just lean your head on my shoulder, okay? I have a crush on my sort of girlfriend."

"That's fine."

"You look a lot like her, you know."

"Oh yeah? Is she pretty?"

"Very. Extremely hot, too. I proposed to her weeks ago, but she declined it. It was a misunderstanding, so I'm coming back for good so we can fix our relationship."

"I wish you guys luck!"

"Thank you."

She listened to her iPod while I read a book. Peter stated that he wasn't tired, but he ended up dozing off about five minutes after he said that.

At the end of the flight, I woke up to a wet dream I'd had about Esme posing sexily for my camera while drunk and then grabbing my package. I was jacking off, forgetting where I was. I even made a grab for Mayah's breasts, thinking she was Esme. I was so embarrassed when she pushed my hands away while squealing, and I tried to hide it with my shirt.

"I'm sorry, Mayah!" I apologized.

"It's okay!"

Unfortunately, Peter asked in a loud, clear voice, "Why is there a hot dog in your pants?"

I covered my face and groaned. Mayah giggled and shushed him. She kept her hand over his mouth and I could still hear his muffled speech.

"Don't worry about it! You'll find out when you're older," she kept repeating. I was relieved he stopped asking about it.

"Aw, no fair!" he complained.

"That's life, buddy. Sorry."

I took out my suitcase from the overhead bin and helped Mayah and Peter get theirs. They happened to be moving in next to the Swans, so they followed me while we drove there so they wouldn't get lost. I blasted music and yelled out my window, "Welcome back, Forks! I'm here to stay!"

There was a very fitting sign that I passed. It read, _The Town of Forks Welcomes You_. When we got to the house that was marked for sale next to the Swans' place, Mayah brought a sleeping Peter out of her car. "It's really green here!" she commented with a chuckle. The little boy woke up and rubbed his eyes. She set him down right away.

"Yeah. Hey, aren't moving trucks supposed to be here?"

"I told them to come today, but I guess they're not here yet. I bought this house on Craigslist right after I was dumped."

"Well, well, well, look who's back!" Charlie greeted me. He punched my shoulder playfully. "Nice seeing you, dude. Do we have new neighbors?"

"Yes, this is Mayah McCumsey and her eight year old son, Peter."

They waved at him and he introduced himself. "I'm Charlie Swan, police chief of Forks."

"A policeman? Well, we're in good hands, then!" Mayah exclaimed. She looked down and we noticed she was no longer holding her son's hand. "Peter? Where are you, sweetheart?"

A loud scream erupted from the Swans' backyard, and Renee came running out with Elizabeth in her arms and Peter trotting along behind them. Elizabeth looked horrified, but Peter had a smug look on his face.

"Alright, who does this kid belong to?" Renee asked and looked suspiciously at Mayah. "Is he yours?"

"Yes, I'm very sorry, he tends to wander," Mayah explained and pulled Peter close to her side. "You stay with me, you understand?" she scolded him.

"Sorry, Mama. I just wanted to make friends with the neighbors."

"That's nice of you, but it would have been a better idea to meet them when they came out here. It's creepy to just go into someone's backyard," Mayah told him.

Peter frowned. "I'm always wrong!"

"Oh, no, you're not! You just scared me! Wanna play at my house?" Elizabeth invited him. "We can play vampires!"

"I would love that! You'll be my best friend!"

"Renee, let me down!"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Renee asked her little girl. "You guys don't even know each other's names!"

Elizabeth nodded. "Please take us back to the backyard! Oh and I'm Elizabeth Swan!" Renee put her down so she could shake her new friend's hand.

"I'm Peter McCumsey," he replied and they shared a firm handshake.

"How cute is that!" Peter's mother cooed.

"How old are you? I'm eight!" Peter said.

"I'm nine," Elizabeth responded.

Peter kissed her hand and then let it go. Elizabeth stared at her hand with a dazed expression in her eyes. Renee put her hand to her heart and smiled.

"Oh my gosh. You kids made my heart swoon! Alrighty, then. See you later, guys." Renee waved at us and followed the children.

"Elizabeth Swan?" Mayah questioned Charlie. "Are you guys big fans of Pirates of the Caribbean or something, because that was epic!"

"Different spelling, our last name has one N, not two. Not exactly, she was adopted. Carlisle found her on the street and he told me about her. Our last daughter ran away and didn't love us at all, so Elizabeth was perfect for us. She's very shy around males, so I'm surprised she warmed up to Peter so quickly. And Mayah, your son is quite the flirt!"

"I know, right?" She rolled her eyes.

"Well, he's a kid, Charlie. Kids are usually harmless. Besides, Renee's chaperoning them."

"You found her on the street?" Mayah asked us worriedly. "What was she doing out there?"

"She's had bad luck in all of her foster homes from the time her parents abandoned her as a baby, so she finally found a family now," I answered her.

"Oh, poor girl."

"Yes. So, let us help you move in," Charlie offered. She nodded happily.

Mayah was settled in pretty quickly and Charlie went back to his own house. I drove to the Hales' place and knocked on the door. I hard footsteps running and then the door opened.

"Dad!" Emmett shouted excitedly.

"Carlisle, you're back!" Jasper added.

"Hello, again!" Rosalie greeted me cheerfully.

"Hey guys, I've missed you so much!" I wrapped them in a hug. They wouldn't let go, even when Lily wheeled Will to their foyer. The life was being squeezed out of my middle. I could barely breathe, but it was so worth it.

"Dude!" Will boomed. I gave him a fist bump and then Lily hugged me with our kids between us.

"Sorry I made you the babysitter for practically a month."

"It's okay. We loved having Emmett here. He just really missed you. He felt like an orphan."

"I'll have to talk with him about that. We're gonna go to Esme's house now."

"Okay, bye!" everyone called out. I pulled Emmett along with me and put him in the passenger seat of my car for the first time in his life.

"I felt abandoned! Don't do that to me ever again!"

"I'm sorry, Em. I just needed to get away. But I'm here now, okay?"

"That's a relief!"

I was nervous as I got to Esme's doorstep and rang her doorbell. Her mom was there to open the door for me. "Hello, Anne." She hugged me, to my great surprise. My arms were down by my sides, but they slowly went around her waist.

"Good to see you again, Carlisle."

"You too."

Before I could ask her where Esme was, Alice stampeded down the steps. "Let me at him!"

I bent down and hollered, "Short stuff!"

"Big guy!" she squealed and jumped into my open arms. I picked her up and spun her around while she giggled. "Finally, you're back!"

"It feels awesome to be home at last. What have you been up to?"

"Last night, Elizabeth and I had a pillow fight and a poking war! We're gonna go to Rosalie's house soon for a slumber party!"

"Sounds fun. By the way, where's Esme?"

"She's in her bed," Anne let me know. "Go visit her."

I took the stairs, two at a time while still carrying Alice. I knocked on Esme's bedroom door. "Come in," said a tired voice.

"Hey, there." I saluted her. "How are you feeling?"

She rolled over so she could see me. "Like crap. I'm sorry, but I don't feel like talking or seeing anyone tonight. Don't try to take care of me, I've been mean lately."

Esme looked like she'd been suffering from insomnia. Her hair was messed up, she had black circles under her eyes, and she couldn't stop yawning. Still, I couldn't get over how naturally beautiful she looked without makeup caked on her face. I really wanted to go out dancing with her and buy her a drink.

"I was about to go to the bar and I wanted to invite you to come with."

"No, that's okay, go without me, I insist," she declined. My heart sank again, but I expected that.

"Positive?"

"Yes. Have fun. We can talk tomorrow morning at your house, okay? Is nine good?"

"Yes. Okay, thank you. Feel better soon."

"Thanks." Her lips turned up into a small smile.

"You're welcome."

I got back into the car and took Emmett to my actual home. He wanted to play video games all night, so I let him, to make up for being a bad father.

"Gee, thanks, you're the coolest dad ever!" he cheered. We hugged tightly and then I left.

I walked into the bar with my ID in my hand. Charlie and I went to the Twilight Lounge so often that the bouncer knew me by name. "Hey, Carlisle, where's Charlie, your buddy?"

"He's at home, but I wanted to come with another friend. She's not feeling too well, so I decided to go by myself."

"That's still cool, man! Go have yourself a nice little beer or something!"

I made my way to the bar and requested a large beer. I didn't want to get too drunk. I started getting a headache halfway through, but it was so tasty that I wanted to finish it, so I did. I could still see okay and I could walk fine. I was about to get up and go home, but someone with a sultry voice murmured, "Hey there, soldier boy..."

I was startled, so I turned to see if the tramp sitting next to me was really talking to me. Her mouth was moving and she beckoned me forwards with her index finger. I couldn't stop looking at her. She had on a belly baring skin tight pink top that said _meet the twins _and black leather shorts with the words, _we're open_ across the front. She also had nine inch stilettos. She didn't resemble Esme at all; in fact, they were complete opposites.

"Whoa. Hello." I blinked a few times to see if she was real. She ordered a shot of tequila and dared me to have a race with her, so I took the challenge. A few minutes later, I was very dizzy and seeing double, so I had to stop. Now I couldn't go home until it wore off.

"I'm Tamaar Yoders, but people call me Tammy, and who might you be?" She stroked my stubble and that action alone made me get an erection. Esme wouldn't dare touch my face.

Yes, she was definitely a whore. Her name said it all. I was so tempted to just take her right there. Her bulging cleavage and tight, flat belly were calling my name.

"Carlisle," I responded after swallowing hard.

"Oooh, can't look away for one second, can ya?"

"Oh, sorry, miss-er, Tammy."

"It's fine, sir-er, Carlsle. I like that name. It sounds like a wild man in bed. Are you wild in bed?" She winked at me and pulled both her straps down until it looked like she was wearing a strapless bikini top.

Esme had never asked me that. "Huh?"

"Oh, come on, you need to have a little fun...but if you really don't feel comfortable with that, let's get to know each other. I work at Safeway. What about you?"

"I'm a doctor."

"That is a sexy profession. Damn! Play doctor for me, will ya?" She squeezed her own breasts and I started palming myself.

"Uhhh, look, I got this girl I like...I asked her to marry me a while ago, but she declined the invitation. Do you have a boyfriend?" I was trying so hard to be faithful to Esme, but it was hard to think through all the alcohol. This was one of the dumbest things I had ever done. She would feel so betrayed, but then again, it wasn't like we were really in a committed relationship or anything. It wasn't official, so it wasn't important...right?

"She doesn't deserve a hottie like you! Well, yeah, I've had tons of boyfriends! Two of them got me pregnant, but I gave them up for adoption. I'm too poor for kids. I just like getting laid."

_Of course you do._

"I know that look you're giving me. I've had my fair share of women who were horrible to my cock."

"Ohhh, I won't be horrible at all...I'm really gentle..."

I loved Esme. She just needed more time to decide if she wants to be married. I should not have proposed to Esme if I knew what she was going through! I told her I'd wait until she was ready, and now I act stupid and ask her to marry me? I deserved a little heartbreak! I took her out on a couple of dates and I've been flirting with her quite a bit. I even proposed to her! And she turned me down, after all that. A woman like that is no kind of woman. That is a bitch. Esme should not have dumped me like that. I had to break that bitch's heart and get her back!

An angel sat on my right shoulder and a devil sat on my left. They started talking to me.

_Don't you dare do it, Carlisle! You will feel so guilty! Esme needs time to heal! She's just confused about her emotions. And she's pregnant! She can't go to a bar! Esme is your only girl. Nobody else. Resist the temptation! Carlisle, if you have sex with this hooker, you're going to Hell._

_Do iiiiiiitttt...Carlisle, you know you want to! Esme doesn't even love you! She should not have led you on the way she did! She didn't even come with you tonight. She should have, so this temptation wouldn't exist! Fuck that hotter girl til' she's sore. Just don't tell Esme. And after the hangover, you won't remember a damn thing. Don't be a pathetic baby and go back to Esme. She does not want you. Listen to me. She hates your guts. This hot girl sitting right across from you lusts for you at this moment. She will love you more than you can believe. For once in your life...get it up!_

"Argh! Fine!" I was about to pull my hair out from all this madness.

"Mmm, what a sexy sound. Come on, you sex god, fuck me!" We danced wildly and I got hard as she shook her tiny ass in my face. Her breasts were about to jump out of her top. Her hair was shorter and curlier than Esme's but still, oh so hot. I couldn't see straight since I was filled with lust and the alcohol had taken over me, but all four feet nine inches of her looked exactly like Esme's perfect frame. When I collapsed, she helped me up and dragged me to a hotel room, it looked like. I stumbled into a bedpost and vomited all over the floor. The promiscuously dressed woman jumped out of the way just in time.

"Oh, Carlos, are you okay? Tammy will make you feel all better!"

"It's...it's Carlisle," I stammered as she wiped my mouth with a tissue in the bathroom.

"Sorry, I forgot..." She ran to the bed and flopped down on it. "Strip me! Please!"

"Yes, ma'am!" I straddled her, unzipped my wet jeans, and jacked off inside her while I peeled off every piece of clothing she had on her. I was so big it was uncomfortable.

"I'll take your clothes off!" She tore off my jeans and shirt before I had time to blink. Her mouth was on mine and her tongue was lapping up all my saliva. She was so damn good. We were at it for hours. I had the worst headache, so she took me home in my Mercedes. I was half asleep, so she helped me up my own steps and made sure I wouldn't fall.

"Which room is yours?"

"Thisone..." I slurred. "I want you in me...really badly..."

"I have a better idea," she purred with a smirk. She opened her mouth and placed my rock hard dick in between her lips. She looked so good with all that makeup on. She went from sucking my penis to giving me a hand job. I grunted and came in pleasure.

"Mind if I touch you?"

"It's only fair..."

Later, we drifted off to sleep.

I struggled to open my eyes and I glanced at the clock. Then, I bolted out of bed but then got a hallucination. I pressed my fingers to my forehead and hissed in pain.

"Fucking hangover...how much did I party last night?"

"I dunno...what do you say about morning sex?"

I nearly got a heart attack when I saw the naked woman beside me. "What the hell are you doing in my bed?" I was in the buff, too! I couldn't believe I had a one night stand with her! There were hickeys around her nipples...had I done that to her? It looked like I chewed upon her skin like an animal! There were lipstick prints circling my neither regions, along with my chest. I sighed in frustration.

"You wanted to be with me longer, so I agreed! Duh!"

"I don't even know you!"

"Tammy, remember?"

"Yeah...get out!" I yelled.

"Oh, give it a rest!" She tried kissing me, but I threw her off me.

"Get dressed, get the hell out of my house, and never come back! The girl who I really love is coming to my house soon! You stupid slut, you tempted me and took advantage of me when I was drunk!"

"You asked for it! Besides, you have a huge boner!" She attempted squeezing it, but I slapped her hand away. I was steaming mad.

"I'm giving you the count of ten...before I tell my girl to kick your dumb ass! She almost killed someone who merely flirted with me before!" I threatened her.

I'd never seen someone put on their clothes and leave a house so fast.

I scrambled to get my own clothes on while feeling very humiliated and guilty. Emmett came into my room just after I put on my boxers and jeans.

"Dad...was there just a woman in your room? I heard a fight..."

"Well, yeah," I admitted sheepishly.

"Is she going to be my mom?"

"God, no!" I got my shirt on as quickly as possible. It was only two minutes to nine. I had no time to waste.

"I heard a lot of loud noises in the middle of the night."

"Sorry, Emmett...but we'll never speak of that woman again, do you understand me?"

He nodded. At least he never saw her.

I really hoped Esme hadn't seen her near my property. I wasn't going to keep this a secret from her, but it would be worse for her if she actually saw the seductress and wished she was more like Tammy.

I should never have done this.

**Thank you for reading and reviewing...K.K Fush, that kiwi chick, MrsCarlisleCullen13,TeamCullenx, TheMortician'sDaughter, Caresme'sChild, Msoxcookie, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, VampirateCarrie, and Just4Me! **

**Dont kill me...**


	32. Feeling Again

**Thanks to K.K. Fush for beta'ing and TheMortician'sDaughter for prereading!**

Esme POV

Renee and I were inches away from Carlisle's house. After I took a shower, she'd given me a morning makeover and prepared me for what I was going to say to him. Hopefully, he and I could work this out. I was a bundle of nerves.

"Okay, are you ready?" she asked me when she pulled up to the curb near his house.

"Mm-hm!" I nodded and redid my lip gloss in the mirror. I fixed my hair to flow over my shoulders.

"Whoa, whoa, what the hell?" She glanced at something I hadn't seen yet.

When she parked her car right in front of his house, I saw a tiny woman with skimpy clothes on dashing out his door. Fire raged inside me and my heart slapped my ribcage very painfully, bringing hurt tears to my eyes. I ducked so she wouldn't see me. "Oh my god...there's someone running away from his house...he doesn't want me after all..." I sobbed.

"She looks like a skanky ho!" Renee rubbed soothing circles on my back and I saw her slowly place her hand on the steering wheel.

"No, don't honk! Please!" I begged her.

Renee backed up behind the bushes while glaring out the window menacingly. I knew she had a plan. "Shhh..." she whispered calmly. "Esme, okay, this is what we're gonna do...I'm gonna pretend to run her over and scare her away! Then you'll rush outta here and kiss Carlisle and bite his lip. Got it?"

I blinked uncertainly. "Kiss him? But what if I don't bite hard enough? Or what if my bite is so hard that he gets a mouthful of blood?" I reached up to wipe my eyes, but she stopped me.

"Don't smear your mascara! Just go under the eyes. And I have faith in you. Leave your mark on him, is all I'm saying. Show him who's boss! Remind him who he belongs to!" With that, Renee stepped on the gas and the car lurched towards the unnamed slut. That woman scrambled out of the way and even fell down, but when Renee left her alone, she started to run to Carlisle's car.

"What the fuck is she doing?" I asked when she tried opening his car door. She took off one of her stilettos and started dragging the heel down the crack where his door would open if it was unlocked. "Oh no, she's trying to break in and steal his car! Not on my watch," I growled.

"Go get her, girlfriend!" Renee whispered as I left her car. "Instead of crying, beat the shit out of her! Show her what you're made of!"

I gave her a thumbs up and then stormed up to the whore. "Hey, you!" Of course, she ignored me, so I caught her off guard by pushing her face down into the ground, enjoying her shriek of pain. I chucked the stiletto into the street.

"What was that for?"

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked.

"My car was locked from the inside and my key's in there!"

I shook my head. "Ain't that a bunch of bullshit! That's my boyfriend's car! You know it! You were coming out of his house, I saw you! You looked all flustered!" I grabbed her up by her hair and slammed her ugly face into the pavement until I saw blood.

"Ow!" she cried. "Stop it!"

"What were you doing in my boyfriend's house?" I demanded. I let her lift up her head so she could look at me, but I had her hands restrained behind her back. When she didn't respond, I shook her. "Huh? Answer me, goddamn it!"

She laughed. "He likes a fat slob like you? Pshaw! I'm pretty surprised, considering the way we drank shots of tequila last night and he wouldn't quit gawking at me! I swear, he couldn't keep his glassy eyes, or his sweaty hands, off me! He was passed out, pretty much, but I was more sober than him! He was so good! He likes them skinny, which is why he was cheating on you!"

My blood boiled and my pulse was increasing. I took a deep breath and screamed at the top of my lungs, "He was raped by his mom when he was thirteen! And now, you rape him when he's out of it and unprotected? How dare you!" I smashed her face into the sidewalk again. "He didn't know what he was thinking!"

"Hey, it's not my fault you rejected his marriage proposal! You're not a real couple!" Her voice trembled and I smirked. The only reason I didn't kill her was because it was against the law and it was a sin.

I showed her my ring. "I'm a hundred percent committed to him! We have issues that we are trying to work on, but you are getting in the way!" I turned her over again and I was so ready to give her a few sucker punches. "Understand me loud and clear." She whimpered when I held up my fist and punched the palm of my hand. "Dont...mess...with...my...man!" I pounded my fists into each of her eyes, her nose, her mouth, and her stomach as I shouted each word. Slowly, I got up to my feet while she choked on her own blood. "Got it?" She nodded solemnly and began backing away. "And if I ever see your black and blue ass around here again, I will make sure to push you into some pothole, you fucking piece of trash!"

She fled and I flipped the bird at her on both my hands. I heard Emmett yelling, "Go Esme!" and then laughing. Renee was cheering. I shook out my sore fists and stretched my tired fingers out. I waved at my best friend and she knew that was her cue to leave. I took a few slow, shaky breaths until I calmed down. Unfortunately, there was a trace of extreme sadness under all my anger. I swallowed back my tears when I saw Carlisle come out of his house and lean against his house ever so casually. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his smile grew wider as I came closer to him.

"That was the hottest thing I've ever seen!" was the first thing he said to me. I then noticed that he had a huge tent in his pants.

"So, boner boy...who was that girl running past me half naked?" I kept my cool even though I was fuming inside. How could he let her do this to him? I pressed my lips together and willed myself not to let any tears leak out of my eyes.

He ran his hands over his face and groaned. "I have gotta stop going to that bar!"

"God, if you're gonna bang somebody, at least be sober so you can remember her! I hope you weren't too rough with her! She looked anorexic! Skin and bones, eeeeewwww! She could probably break at the slightest touch!" My voice was getting louder with each word.

"I don't remember banging any chicks...I woke up with a hangover and a slut in my bed! I kicked her out!" He combed back his hair with his fingers and looked at me in confusion.

"Exactly my point! Stop getting so goddamn drunk!" My voice cracked at the last word, jealousy took over me, but I didn't dare let it show. "At least I had the decency not to be the whore of some guy who was trying to flirt with me after you proposed to me!" I seethed.

I was pissed off as all hell. The window behind Carlisle reflected that my eyes were blazing. He rubbed my belly soothingly, I guess, to calm me down. "Hey, come on, what's the big deal? We're not dating, so I'm not cheating on you."

That was the final straw! I pushed him against the wall and pulled his face down to mine. I kissed him with so much force that I bit down on his lip, but I was satisfied with myself. I had done exactly what Renee told me to do.

Carlisle groaned in pain and his hand was over his mouth instantly. "Ow! Fuck!"

"Now, it's cheating. And you broke my heart, you bastard. So you deserved a little bite. Hm."

"Why don't I treat you to breakfast to make up for this little episode, hmm?" He staggered when he started walking. I grabbed his arm before he fell down his porch steps.

"Sure. But before that, let's get you some water and a pack of ice."

I went inside his house and led him to a couch so he could sit down. He held his head in his hands and leaned his elbows on his knees. "Oh my god, I've got a splitting headache!"

"Of course you do, you big, dumb idiot! Where do you keep your sandwich bags?"

"I dunno...I'm dizzy..."

"I will never forget this. You know, I've had a hangover once, at Renee's bacholorette party, but I've never had a one-night stand!"

"Everything went fuzzy when I first saw that bitch!" he mumbled.

I rolled my eyes and searched for his sandwich bags and the ice he kept in the freezer. I found them, along with a big glass that I put water in. "I've got everything, you just relax." As I sat down next to him, I touched his shoulder to get his attention. He looked at me with his eyes glazed over.

"Ezzie, it hurts!" he whined and buried his head in his hands.

"I know," I murmured and removed his hands from his face. Carlisle looked at the glass and licked his lips. "Drink. Go on, take a sip." I held it up to him and he fumbled and tried to keep a firm grasp on it, but his fingers kept slipping down the glass. I tipped his head back and poured the frozen liquid into his open mouth. He gulped it down until it was gone.

"Thank you, Esme."

"Not a problem. Now, you're flopping all over the place, so lie down across the couch, on this pillow, until your headache goes down."

He did what I recommended him to do, and I placed the ice pack on his forehead. He held it there with one hand, but when I started to leave the room to put the glass in the dishwasher, he pulled me back with his other hand.

"Please, don't leave me here alone," Carlisle croaked.

"Okay, I won't." I sat on the little space I had next to him. "We don't have to talk until you're feeling better."

"You're not...mad at me?" he asked me warily.

"No, the state you're in is enough of a punishment."

He turned his face away and his voice was soon muffled into the couch cushion. "I'll never go into a bar alone again."

"That's a good choice. Also, when was the last time you've eaten? Didn't you come home at dinnertime?"

"Yeah...I just said hi to everybody and went to the bar."

"I'll make us something. You take me out another time, okay?"

"Okay...hey, did you dye your hair black?"

"Yes. Do you like it?"

"It's...different. But in a good way!"

"Thanks. I'm probably gonna change it back to brown with blonde highlights." I definitely was. I finally had him back!

"That's cool too."

I got up and went into the kitchen. Emmett was eating a piece of toast, a cup of banana yogurt, and a few strawberries. "Good morning, Esme."

"Morning to you too, Emmett. Mind telling me where the pancake mix and chocolate chips are?"

"They're in the pantry." He opened the door and gave the ingredients to me.

"And the bananas are in the fruit bowl...and blueberries in the refrigerator!" I proclaimed as I gathered everything up and placed them on the counter.

As I made chocolate chip blueberry banana pancakes, Emmett asked, "What's going on with my dad?"

"Oh...he's just sick. I don't know."

"You're never going to be my mom, are you?"

I flipped over the last pancake. "I'm not ready for marriage, but I would love to be your mom. Don't worry, we will marry, just not now. We've only known each other a short time."

"Yeah, Alice told me..." He hung his head dejectedly as I arranged the pancakes on the plate.

"Hey, I'll be here a lot," I assured him. "Want a pancake?"

He took one for himself and drizzled whipped cream on it. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." I left the kitchen and headed for the couch. "Carlisle, breakfast is-" I gasped when I saw nothing on the couch. I went all around the house, looking for him, until I got to the top of the stairs. I stopped short and my jaw dropped when I saw him walking around completely naked.

He was holding his huge, thick junk, and I itched down there all of a sudden. Then, I grasped the stair handle for balance, for my legs were shaking. I'd never seen him this way before. My face was burning hot; I couldn't look away. When he disappeared into his room, gave me a nice look at his firm ass, and shut the door, I could move my feet towards his bedroom. Cautiously, I knocked when I thought he was finished getting dressed.

"Come in."

I opened the door and grinned through my shock at seeing him nude. "Breakfast is ready."

He messed up his hair, sprinkling me with water. I laughed as he took the plate from my hands. We shared it while we sat on top of his bed. "Sorry, I had to take a shower...to wash the alcohol and whore smells off me."

I nodded. "Understandable..."

He was finally sobered up near the middle of the day. Carlisle was now able to drive us both to the hospital so he could get tested for STD's. Luckily, he didn't contract any from the hooker.

"So, Esme..." he started on our drive back.

It was so quiet on the way there, since he felt so guilty and ashamed of his actions. I was happy he was talking to me now that he was behaving normally. "Yes?"

He took my hand in his. "You've had the ring all this time?"

"I wear it to show that I'm taken...like a promise ring."

"This is a nice surprise. By the way, why were you kicking that girl's ass?"

I chuckled. "She was trying to break in your car and steal it, so I had to stop her."

"How rude of her," he muttered. "I think you're one third vampire, one third human, and one third witch."

"Demon or angel?"

"Angel, always my angel! I still can't believe you took care of me the way you did. You're so loyal and nurturing. My personal Florence Nightingale."

I blushed and turned to face outside the window. "Thanks..." He kept his hand on my back as he drove with one hand on the wheel.

"I thought you would be betrayed."

"I was, but I knew your heart belonged to me. You just made a stupid mistake one time. Everyone does."

"You forgive me then?"

"Yes. That shows true love."

He smiled. "Thank you so much, Esme. I will never go to a bar by myself again because now that we are in a romantic relationship, and I for sure know you love me, it terrifies me to even think about lusting after another woman."

"Really? Well, did you not love me before?"

"I did. It was you who didn't love me." Carlisle pulled into his driveway and let us in the house while holding my hand. "Would you like to stay for lunch?"

"You and I both know our chat will last longer than a few hours. You'll want me here for dinner, too. Then we'll curl up on the couch watching a movie, and pretty soon, you'll carry me upstairs and spoon me all night long while we reconnect."

"You know me all too well. Do you want to do that?"

"It's always been my dream, ever since I came here this morning."

He brought me to his chest and leaned down until our lips were touching. "I am totally up to that," he said against my open mouth. I giggled at the feeling. "I'm glad Emmett's holed up in his room. We need some privacy."

"Yeah..."

"How are your knuckles?"

"My knuckles?"

"Look at them, they're bruised!" He placed soft kisses on all eight of my knuckles. I hadn't even noticed. They didn't hurt or anything. Still, he put ice on them.

"Oh, thanks..."

"You're welcome." He pulled away and began cooking us pasta for lunch. "Please sit."

I nodded and remembered what he said earlier. "So tell me, you thought I didn't love you?"

"Well, you rejected my proposal even though I worshipped the ground you walked on."

"I had a number of reasons, but you never heard me out. You just took off like a baby. You left before I could shout for you to come back. My heart was shattered to pieces."

"Hey, don't you think my ego was smashed? I'm a man. Men don't listen. They just act."

"Oh. So I hurt your pride. I did feel bad saying no. I'm not callous. Do you remember the last time we kissed, though? Before this morning, I mean."

"When Charles caught us at that game and I put you to bed after I dropped you off."

"And when was that? Like what month?"

"End of February...oh my god, has it really been that long?"

"Yes," I said slowly. "Five months. What part of you thought we would be getting married after months of no physical contact?"

"Esme, I thought you were better! You stopped hurting yourself and you were all giddy around your birthday! All of June and part of July, we seemed like a happy couple. We talked on the phone and texted each other all night long! We spent so much time together it wasn't even funny! You even danced with me in the rain! You slow danced with me at Renee's wedding! You let me put suntan lotion on your back! I taught you how to swim and play basketball! We went out with the kids. I felt like we were a family. You loved it when I showered you with gifts and you basked in all my compliments. You didn't reject flowers or dates, so why would you reject me? You led me on all that time!"

"You said you wouldn't rush me! You promised me that! Yet, you asked me to marry you! Oh, wow, what a shock that was! Especially when we haven't kissed for five months! We never even had a conversation about our future. You don't know me very well to actually be in love with me! It hasn't even been a year yet. We've been friends, a couple, mortal enemies, and flirty with each other. I don't even know what our relationship is anymore, because it was non-existent when you popped the question!"

"It seems like we're back to being a couple at this moment, but we're just having a discussion. I had an inner argument with myself last night before my one-night stand."

"Obviously, the asshole in you won."

"Yeah, I'm past that already. I'm sorry for not talking about marriage with you first, but would you have said yes if we did?"

I shrugged and ate my lunch while he ate his. There was a long silence between us for at least twenty minutes, and then I knew what to say.

"Probably not. I wasn't ready for a marriage. I know how honeymoons work. Also, the divorce rate is fifty-two percent in America and most married couples who marry young start getting bored of each other about two years in. Kids, jobs, and money are the source of many arguments. We have to date for about five years before we want to get married. We have to test it out and see if we're compatible."

"I see. You're so smart...I never even considered that. So you do want to marry me...but just not now?"

"Yes. I also want to be ready for sex when we get married."

"Sex can come much later...it doesn't have to happen until you're completely ready."

"I don't want to turn you down when we're husband and wife! That's mean! All I'm saying is hold on until I grow up!"

"I can do that. I can wait," he promised me.

"Thank you."

"Be honest. Do you really love me?"

"I can't say the actual three words yet. But deep down inside, I do. The words have so much meaning, but I'm afraid I'm more active than verbal about my emotions. I can try, though. Why do you think I kept coming back to you after my psychotic episodes and stayed with you this morning, knowing that someone else had touched you sexually in ways that I can't bear to imagine? Why do you think I felt butterflies in my belly when we slow danced at Renee's wedding, on all of our dates, and at my birthday party? Why do you think I dressed nice for you? Why do you think I couldn't stand you being gone for so long? It was as if you'd slashed my heart to bits. And why the hell else do you think I listened to you when you told me to stop trying to kill that nurse? I preferred being in your arms and crying hysterically into your shirt rather than eventually being guilty of murder. You were the one who helped me come to my senses. You're the peanut butter to my jelly, the Jack to my Rose, the other half of my heart! You leave me weak in the knees, with a belly full of butterflies, and whenever you touch me, I'm unable to function properly! Honestly, Carlisle, my affection for you is so strong that I felt dead when you left. You are my rock. You keep me sane. No other man could be good enough for me. I would be too much for them to handle. You are more than good enough, though. You are perfect," I confessed. My heart was beating so fast after my little speech.

"Esme..."

"I'm speaking from the bottom of my heart. And now...and now... I feel guilty that I was never able to say all that to you before. I was just a girl, dreaming about my crush...and how he was so handsome and romantic...wearing a white dress, imagining you kissing me when you return home to me, and being Mrs. Esme Anne Cullen sounded very enticing...but I'm not quite ready for all that yet...and now, I'm probably babbling..."

He shut me up with a breathless kiss to my lips.

"God, I love you, sweetheart," he said with powerful devotion clear in his voice. "It feels nice to start all over."

"It does. So, we're officially boyfriend and girlfriend now, right?"

"We are."

We cuddled on the couch. That evening, neither of us wanted to cook; we were both too lazy. We decided to order takeout from the Forks Bar and Grill. At night, Carlisle drove me home so I could get my nightlight for our sleepover, and my black silk shorts and purple top on as my pajamas. I brushed my teeth and shaved my legs. When I returned to the foyer, I saw Carlisle giving Alice a piggy back ride. I loved how he treated my daughter like she was his own child. We left but not before giving her hugs and saying, "Bye, kiddo!"

After he changed for bed, we watched a movie on the couch and I snuggled in his arms. The movie turned out to be scary and the weather outside was a summer storm of showers, thunder, and lightning. I wasn't frightened as long as I was with my boyfriend. Besides, the way his abs, shoulders, and upper arms felt under his tight shirt and on my back was incredible. It gave me a sense of security. Something that I'd missed. Finally, I felt whole again.

By the time the movie was over, I was fast asleep. Carlisle brought me upstairs and laid me down on something soft. I opened my eyes to see where we were. I heard rain pattering on the window. Other than that, there was sensual music playing, so that woke me up. Just as I thought, we were in his bedroom with the lights turned down low. My nightlight was on, to my relief, and he had his back to me while he took off his black t-shirt. I sat up and leaned back on my hands. The muscles rippled in his back while he stretched and punched his bag. He was showing off for me, I guess. I pushed my hair back from my face to get a better look at him. When he faced me, he crawled up on his bed and pulled me into his arms so we were front to front.

"You sleep without a shirt on?" I managed to ask. "You didn't in January..."

He smirked at me and held me tighter. "It's hot in here...even with air conditioning. I don't want us to sleep just yet."

"Are-are we gonna have sex?" I worried.

"Of course not, baby. You look so beautiful with the moon shining from the window and your nightlight on over there. Instead of me telling you what I want us to do, I'll show you. Thank god Emmett is at Jasper's house."

"Caress me..." I mumbled and put my hand on his cheek.

"Caress me...that's our names jumbled together! Car...Esme!"

I laughed and tapped his lips with my index finger. "Oh, just kiss me, you fool!"

I took a big breath when he held me and gave me a few slow, soft kisses from my temple to my neck.

"You like this, Esme?"

"Ohhh...yes..." I moaned while blushing. He sucked on the spot and his teeth scraped against my skin while his tongue swiped the area. It made me giggle through my sighs of pleasure. He kissed his way down my arm to my wrists and my hands. He skimmed his thumbs over my knuckles while our fingers were linked.

"You have dimples and your teeth are showing," he murmured as he traced my lips with his tongue.

"I'm smiling that big, huh?"

"Yes, sweetie, and I love it. Your smile's so genuine. I enjoy making you look like this."

We started getting hot and heavy when I trailed my fingers all over his naked chest and held onto his muscled arms. I was weak since he kissed me senseless. I was unable to move, think or say anything else besides arching my back and gasping out, "Oh, Carlisle..." I shivered with excitement and he hugged me closer to him.

"Ezzie...you're so warm and you smell like flowers..."

As we made out, he ran his thumbs under my top when it lifted up a little bit. I could tell he felt my scar, since he stopped the gentle kisses on my mouth.

"What is it?"

He creased his forehead in concern. "How did you get that scar?"

"When you left me, I hurt myself..."

I felt his lips and tongue touch the tender area and I died inside. "Oh, I'm so sorry, my love...I did this to you..."

"This totally makes up for it..."

"Damn it, Esme. I adore you too much...why would you damage someone I adore?" He stroked my hair and kissed my forehead.

"Because you caused me so much emotional pain and I was depressed..."

"That does it..." He lifted my wrists and kissed the insides of them, right where my scars were from when I was in middle school. They were so old...then I felt him touching his lips against the tooth marks on the sides of my face...

"Why are you kissing my childhood scars?"

"I want to show you that I love every single part of you...even your flaws."

"Oh, you!" That was really all I could say. Really, I felt like I was in one of those dreams where I was flying above the cloud banks and reaching the stars. This wasn't a dream, though. This was real. We were relishing in each other's company right here, right now. I felt extremely lucky and as radiant as the sun. I was glowing, I was pretty sure of that.

"My princess..."

"My prince..."

"I hope I'm making you a very happy woman...god, your skin is so smooth! And that smile...those eyes..."

"I like when you touch me...don't talk...just feel around..."

"My god, you're beautiful..." He gave me some more steamy, searing kisses, smoothed his rough hands down my legs, hitched them across his waist and my insides melted. Our legs became tangled and I felt his arousal against a very sensitive part of my lower body.

"Oh, god..." I breathed heavily while closing my eyes.

"Missed this?"

"Yes..." I took in a loud gasp for air before his mouth attacked mine again. His hands around my hips...my fingernails scratching his chest... we must have looked like a couple of teenagers, the way we were positioned. I seriously hoped I wasn't squishing him since I was practically sitting on him. He really did love me.

"You're...so...pretty..." he kept saying between kisses to every inch of my exposed skin.

Was I actually turning him on? Did he think I was desirable? Was he smoldering with passion like I was doing right now? His hands crawled up my shirt, tracing patterns on my back. I was thanking the heavens above that he had the sense not to go near my bare chest with wandering hands like most men had. He didn't take advantage of the fact that I wasn't wearing a bra. It must have been part of his gentlemanly traits.

"Dr. Cullen," I panted.

"Mmm...Ms. Platt..."

I was sweating so much that my hands were sliding down his upper body, rather than roaming. It was a little embarrassing. He must have felt my gasps for air because he stopped kissing me.

"Carlisle...you mind opening a window? The storm's over and I like the cool breeze coming in here."

"Okay." He rolled off his bed and opened the window while I fanned myself.

"Whoo...that's a bit better...but where's your bathroom? I'm starting to feel clammy."

"Come with me, sweetheart." He led me to his bathroom and gave me a swift peck on the cheek. I closed the door behind me and set my fogged-up glasses down on his counter.

"Oh my..." I splashed cold water on my face and all over my body. Right away, I noticed that I had a very bright red beard burn. In fact, my whole face looked flushed. "Whoa..." I held onto the sink as the room began spinning in circles. I looked in the mirror and inspected the hickeys he left me on my neck. "Wow, okay...hey, Carlisle, I'm feeling really lightheaded!" I shrieked when I took a step back and almost fainted as I stumbled into his arms.

"I was waiting outside all that time..."

"You caught me...uh oh, I'm feeling sick..." I felt the puke rise up in my throat and fell to my knees. Carlisle steadied me over the toilet and held my hair back as my dinner spilled into the toilet.

"There, there, darling...you're all right..."

I was numb when he cleaned my mouth with tissues even when I was drooling like a baby. He lifted me up and walked back to his bedroom. I was ready to fall asleep as soon as I put my back to his chest and his arms wrapped securely around mine. Our hands were interlocked on my belly. That was when I felt a jolt, like my baby was kicking.

My baby was kicking! This was the first time, and I knew Carlisle sensed it too. I looked over my shoulder at him and he had a puzzled expression on his face. I had to admit my huge secret, whether he knew it for sure or not.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered while closing my eyes.

_And now I'm screwed._

**Thanks for reading and reviewing: MrsCarlisleCullen13, that kiwi chick, K.K. Fush, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, Msoxcookie, Caresme'sChild, and Just4Me (I think you were a guest reviewer? Correct me if I'm wrong...)!**


	33. My Baby

**Thanks to K.K. Fush for beta'ing and TheMortician'sDaughter for prereading!**

Carlisle POV

She finally told me how much I meant to her. Our steamy makeout session was the best thing I had ever experienced in over five months of not feeling her luscious lips against mine. Esme had mysteriously grown two sizes since the last time I really saw her, but I wasn't going to talk about it until now, when she finally confirmed that she was pregnant. She pushed my hands away, mumbling something like, "God, you must hate me now..."

"No, don't say that. Please don't say that. How many months along are you?"

"Five. Remember when I was...you know?"

I smoothed my fingers through her lovely hair and sighed when she flinched. "Ez, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew what you would think of me!" she wailed. I couldn't tell whether or not she was crying, but her voice was shaking.

"What would I think of you?" My hands massaged her shoulders and ran down her arms, finally returning back to her expanded belly.

"As a slut! Bella didn't know the father of her child and neither do I!" Her hands fluttered down on top of mine, and I knew she was done trying to get away from me.

"Bella chose to play around with those boys. You were sexually harassed by five men who knew exactly what they were doing. That was not a decision you made," I told her sternly.

"Four, actually. Charles taped them having their way with me. But that doesn't matter. You don't need a woman with two children."

"How disgusting. Those bastards...well, I already think of Alice as my daughter. I really want to adopt her, and I'll love this next baby because it'll be from you."

"You don't wanna walk around with your pregnant girlfriend who isn't even carrying your baby!" She covered her eyes and brushed some tears away.

I sat up and placed my hands on either side of her. She looked up at me and blinked. I bent down and kissed her stomach. "You are going to be beautiful, just like your mother." I exchanged a glance with Esme. She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and tried to hide a smile.

"Only you, Carlisle. Only you."

"Only me what?" I knelt on the bed and brushed my hands over her cotton-covered belly.

"You're the only guy I know that wouldn't leave his girlfriend when he finds out she's pregnant."

Cautiously, I lifted the hem of her shirt. "May I?"

"What do you want to see?" She placed her hands firmly on mine.

"I want the baby to hear me, that's all."

"So only my belly?"

I nodded. "What's its name?" I played dumb so she wouldn't think I was some insane stalker.

"I'm having a girl and I'm calling her Cynthia Elizabeth." She bit her lip. "What do you think?"

"That's a great name."

"Thank you. Let's both talk to her." She lifted her shirt so it just covered her breasts. I kissed her smooth baby bump again, as well as the indentations above her belly. More scars from the dog attack. I heard Esme sigh beneath me.

"Hey, Cynthia...my name is Carlisle, and I'm your mother's boyfriend. I love her very much, so when you come out of her, don't hurt her, okay?"

Esme burst out laughing. "Oh, shut up, she can't help that, she's a fetus still! Don't mind my corny boyfriend, sweetie pie. You're fine just the way you are."

"Yes, you are another one of my girlfriend's miracle babies. I can't wait to meet you."

"I love you, Cynthia." Esme blew a kiss to her stomach and then covered it up. I snuck in a kiss to the side of her belly and wrapped her into my arms again. She squinted and looked at the clock. "Is it really two in the morning?"

"Yes, and it's nearing three. How did we stay up that late?"

"Insomnia?"

"The movie ended past midnight and we made out for over an hour. It could have been insomnia, or maybe we're just the best couple ever who enjoys each other's company so much that they lose track of time."

"Yeah, the latter makes so much more sense. You know what, I've just gotten hit with a middle-of-the-night craving."

I yawned. "What do you want? I'll get it for you. You can eat it in my bed."

"I don't want to make a mess..."

"Don't worry, I've got paper towels."

"Okay...can I please have...an ice cream with sprinkles on it? My favorite treat is a brownie sundae with whipped cream and sprinkles, but you can just put ice cream in a bowl to save yourself trouble."

"I'm gonna get it now." I got out of bed and slowly walked to the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator, made some brownies, dug out some chocolate ice cream, and put it into a small glass dish. I sprayed whipped cream on top, shook rainbow sprinkles all over it and placed a spoon inside the dish. I grabbed a paper towel. When I got back to my room, Esme was holding out her hands, so I gave her the treat and put the paper towel on her lap.

"Thank you, Carlisle. You're the best boyfriend ever." She kissed my cheek and started eating. I sat next to her and she laid her legs on top of mine. "You spoil me."

"No problem. You're worthy of being spoiled. You deserve everything. I've gotta thank you in return, for making my day, and my night."

Esme quickly swallowed down a bite of her ice cream. "So, tonight was better than last night? You like a pregnant woman more than a skinny girl? Well, you certainly are unique, so I believe you. Drunk people do things they normally don't do...so I guess she was...an odd fuck?"

"Yeah...you just waltzed into my front yard and did your thing. I was the happiest man alive."

"I bet," she laughed.

I scratched the back of my neck and immediately felt a sharp pain. When I brought my hand back in front of my face, I noticed blood on my fingertips. "Oh, Jesus...Esme, can you check the back of my neck, please? I think I'm bleeding."

"Oh, sure." She put her dish on my nightstand.

I rolled over so my back was to her. "How bad is it?"

"Just a little scrape, but you need a Band-Aid. She bit you pretty hard, huh?" I felt her massaging my shoulders and softly blowing on my injury. It made the sting hurt a little less.

"Ah, thank you, love. I'll get a Band-Aid." I went to the bathroom, took a Band-Aid out of its container, and gave it to Esme.

"Stupid vamp," she muttered while she smoothed it over my bite. "Is that okay?"

"It's more than okay. I can't thank you enough, dear." Carefully, I turned over to face her.

"After the way you kissed me tonight, I would do anything for you."

"I love you," I professed as I leaned down to give her a long kiss on her pretty pink lips.

"Right back at you. Hey, you know what I was doing last night?"

"What?"

"I had a nightmare, ran out of bed, and slept with my mom."

"I'm so sorry, baby...I'm so pissed at myself!"

"It's okay." She took off her glasses and her ring and put them next to her ice cream bowl.

I stroked her cheekbones and trailed my fingertips down the sides of her neck. She just let me love her and plant kisses all over her soft skin while she laid there.

We ended up falling asleep until I woke up around eleven. I was lucky it was a Sunday morning, because we'd slept in later than ever before. She still had her eyes closed, so I kissed her forehead, each of her eyelids and then the corner of her mouth where it looked a little dry. Her eyes fluttered open and she just stared up at me.

"You woke me up from a perfect dream!"

"This is no dream. Good morning, cutie," I greeted her while lightly drawing patterns on her stomach and sides with my fingertips.

Esme quickly turned over and started giggling. "Oh, god, that tickles!"

I stopped what I was doing and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. "Is that better?"

She blushed and let out a sexy moan that made my dick snap up. "Ah, yes." We kept at it until my door opened and hit the wall behind it. I was holding Esme by her bare belly, curving my hand over her hip, and giving her yet another hickey when my son and Rosalie walked in.

"Oh, gross!"

"Dad?" he asked, horrified, while shielding his face.

"Ms. Platt!" Rosalie sounded surprised.

Esme blushed and wiggled out of my arms. We looked up from our compromising position and covered ourselves with the sheets quickly. Thank god we weren't naked!

"Are we interrupting something?" Emmett laughed.

"You saw nothing!" I exclaimed.

"Let's get outta here!" Rosalie linked arms with him and pulled him out of my room.

"Oh god, that was awkward..." Esme muttered and put her shirt back down to reach her shorts.

"Now, I don't know if I can face them for a while. Do you want to go out for breakfast?"

"Yes! I'm dying for waffles! Can we still go to the In Place Restaurant in our pajamas?"

"I'll get a shirt on and take you home so you can change, all right?"

"Okay," she agreed. "The bed was getting too warm for me, anyway."

"What else should we do today?" I asked as we got into my car and I started driving to her house.

"I can show you the baby's room and then after breakfast, would you mind coming with me to see my gynecologist? I need to see if my baby's doing okay."

"I would love to."

"You don't disappoint."

"After we see your baby, I'll take you to Pacific Pizza for lunch, and if we're both up for dessert, we can go to Sweet P's Bake Shop."

"Sounds like a good day! Do you want to come over tonight? Dinner with my family?"

"Yeah...can Emmett come too?"

"Of course he can! In fact, I want to arrange a triple date at my house with us, Renee and Charlie, Lily and Will, and all our children and my mom."

"That sounds like fun."

"We would need to keep it PG, though," she reminded me as I parked on her curb.

"Oh, yeah..."

"Don't forget!" She smiled devilishly and yanked me towards her with my shirt in her hands. Our lips touched and we got into it until the horn honked long and loud.

"We should go."

"Yeah," Esme giggled. "That was definitely not PG."

"Not appropriate for dinner with your mom and all the kids."

We walked to her door, hand in hand. She rang the doorbell and Anne opened the door for us. "Hello, you two."

"Hi, Mom," Esme said and gave her mom a kiss to her cheek. She never released her strong hold on my hand. I gave Anne a hug.

"What are you both up to?"

"I'm getting changed and then Carlisle's taking me out for breakfast. We're checking up on my baby, going out for lunch and dessert, and then, would it be okay if everyone came over to our house tonight for dinner?"

"How fun! Who do you mean by 'everyone'?"

"Just a few people..." Esme smiled innocently. "Me, you, and Alice obviously, plus Carlisle, Emmett, Renee, Elizabeth, Charlie, Will, Lily, Rosalie, and Jasper."

"Twelve," Anne said after ticking the names off on her fingers. "Luckily, we have the biggest table in the world. This sounds like a house party."

"Please?"

"Fine with me."

"Yes!" Esme made a fist and pumped it in the air. I chuckled. "What are you going to make?"

"I haven't thought about it yet. What do you want?"

"Drinks...and for dinner, I'd like a barbeque. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, and baked beans!"

"The guys would have to help out with the barbeque, but I can make the food. Okay, you two run along!"

We went upstairs and Alice scampered up to us. "Mommy! Carlisle! Are you guys finally together?"

Esme couldn't bend over to pick up her daughter, so I did it instead. She put one of her arms around my neck and her other around Esme's neck. She pushed the backs of our heads closer together so we could kiss.

"Alice!" Esme laughed when we pulled away after a hot open-mouthed kiss. "You don't need to see that."

"I wanted to see for myself! Emmett and Rosalie told me and Jasper you guys were a couple..."

"And it spread like wildfire," I finished her sentence.

"Well, I bet Renee and Lily will be squealing at me and asking me for details," Esme said. "Alright, you guys hang out, I'll be right back."

"Good luck in there," I told her when she disappeared into her bedroom.

"Carlisle, want to see my room?"

"Oh sure, is it the one next to Esme's?"

"Yeah, it's actually my mommy's old room from when she was a child. Come look!" I bent down so her feet could touch the floor. She grabbed my hand and led me to her room. I opened the door and Alice spun around with her hands raised in the air. "You like it?"

I nodded. "Very nice...and colorful."

Rainbows and stars were painted on her walls and she had posters from Hannah Montana and High School Musical. It was a typical seven year old girl's room. Hanging over her bed was an enlarged picture of her between her mom and grandma with a caption under it called _My Beautiful Family_.

"Thanks. And check out the music." She turned on some CD and I didn't recognize this song. "It's the High School Musical soundtrack."

I was glad Esme wasn't interested in that stupid mindless crap. "Oh, cool."

Alice hugged me around my waist. "I wish you were my daddy. You'd be the best daddy ever."

"I'm your mom's boyfriend, but we agreed we'd marry in about five years. But I can probably adopt you before then."

"Yay! Can Esme adopt Emmett? I want him to be my brother!"

"Yes, I can, Alice."

I looked up to see Esme standing by the doorway in white sandals, tight neon green yoga pants and a lacy, white, off the shoulder crop top. Her hair was in low pigtails. My attention was no longer focused on Alice, not when her hot mother was standing a few feet away from me. The little girl jumped on her bed and we left her to it after covering her in kisses.

I took Esme into her bathroom and wrapped my arms around her waist. "When did you get this outfit?"

"I don't-" she began to say before our lips suddenly molded together until we were both panting. Both my hands were on her naked hips.

"You look beyond beautiful. I love you in that."

"Oh, this old thing? It's what I wear for comfort," she explained innocently. She batted her eyes and gave me a hard on.

"Comfortable clothes on you look great." I suppressed my growing boner and hid it with my long shirt. She took my hand and I let her be in the lead. When she turned around, all I could do was ogle her cute little ass. I couldn't even think when she started walking down the stairs and to the baby's room, not with her ass swaying from side to side. I'd have to take a cold shower whenever I had the chance.

"Carlisle, this is my baby's room. What do you think?"

It was spacious with yellow walls and all the baby stuff. She'd really outdone herself. "It looks perfect. Did you do this all by yourself?"

"Thank you. No, Renee, Alice, Elizabeth, and my mom helped me out, too."

"That was nice of them."

"I know. Okay, let's go to breakfast."

I had blueberry pancakes and she had a large waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. We barely spoke, we only gazed at each other and laughed at random times. I then took her to Dr. Young, her gynecologist.

"Hi, Dr. Young, this is my boyfriend, Carlisle. He's a doctor, too."

The black haired Native American woman in the white lab coat shook my hand with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Carlisle."

"It's nice to meet you too. So, how's Esme doing?"

"Oh, rush the pleasantries and go straight to business, caring for your pregnant girlfriend! Esme, he's a keeper."

Esme simply blushed and we followed the doctor into her office. Dr. Young propped Esme up on a cot and covered her with a hospital gown so she could take off her pants in private and open her legs. I held her hand and ran my thumb over her fingers when she jumped. "Oh, that's freezing!" I knew the doctor was spreading gel on her belly, so I breathed hot air on her fingers. She relaxed with a sigh.

"Oh, look at that!" Dr. Young pointed up to the ultrasound on the screen. "Your baby is now five months along, seven to nine inches long, almost half of her birth length; she weighs almost one pound. A white, greasy protective coating called vernix caseosa has just begun to form on your baby's skin. If you were to take a peek at her now, you would see her looking pink, translucent, and quite wrinkled."

"Oh, wow. I felt the baby kick last night. That's normal, right?"

"Yes. Did you talk to her yet?"

"I did, and so did he." She jerked her thumb back towards me.

"You guys make a good team."

"Thank you," we said in unison.

"Esme...you're halfway there, mom! Let the honeymoon period begin. As you gain your energy back, you may want to get started on the nursery. Just remember to leave the painting to your husband or partner."

"Whoops, I've got it taken care of already...but my friends helped me. Is that okay?"

"It's fine, you're not gonna die. Your uterus will hit your belly button at about 20 weeks and you may begin to feel achy and itchy around your lower and sides of the abdomen. This is due to stretching ligaments."

The doctor listened to Esme's baby's heartbeat through a stethoscope while continuing, "Common physical symptoms this month include constipation, heartburn, indigestion, bloating, headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nasal congestion, hearty appetite, leg cramps, faster pulse, easier or more difficult orgasm, backache, protruding naval, and few mood swings."

"I have certainly had lots of those. I almost fainted last night, but Carlisle saved me just in time. He's been taking care of me."

"Well that's good. Is your back aching yet?"

"Sometimes, it does, but all he's gotta do is give me a back rub, and it goes away."

"Be sure to practice good posture. This will help you with breathlessness too. When you are picking things up, be aware of how you are doing it. Be sure to keep your back straight and bend your knees. Do not bend from the hips."

"I don't bend over anymore. It hurts my back."

"Sleeping may also be the culprit. Try sleeping on your side with pillows. Also, when you are getting up from a sleeping position, try to roll yourself off the bed. Avoid twisting your back. Another option to relieve back pain is trying prenatal massage at your local day spa. That should provide some temporary relief for an aching back. Just be sure to avoid aromatherapy oils, as it is proven that some herbs may be dangerous to pregnant women."

Esme nodded in understanding. "Okay."

"What is that dark line that may appear below your belly button and down your abdomen? That was your linea alba, which was a light colored line that has always been there but invisible. Your hormones have turned it into a linea nigra, which is a dark line. Also, if you notice dark patches on your face, called chloasma, this is sometimes referred to as the mask of pregnancy. It will eventually fade after delivery."

"Thank you. God, I'm gonna be ugly..."

"Not in my eyes," I said while squeezing her hand.

"Esme, you can pull up your pants now." The doctor left the room and I closed my eyes.

"Carlisle, I'm dressed. We can go now."

I put my arm around her waist and together, we walked out. I felt a hand touching my arm. Realizing it wasn't Esme's, I shook the hand off me. It was Nurse Veronica, some creepy nurse at the hospital who rarely came up to anyone. She had nerve, feeling me up like that!

"Leave me alone," I said in a flat tone.

"Yeah, he's mine," Esme spoke up and we both left the building. We were stopped again when I heard someone squeal, "Oh, Carlisle, is that you?"

I spun around to see a woman younger looking than me, with greasy light brown hair and bad acne. It was one of my forgotten friends from high school, Kristina.

"Kristina? What are you doing here?"

"I live here, silly! Wow, I haven't seen you in so long. I'm twenty-two, by the way. Come here, I want to tell you a secret." She was completely oblivious to Esme, who was holding me around my waist.

"Anything you tell me can be said in front of my girlfriend."

"That's your girlfriend?"

I looked at her as if she'd grown three heads. "Yes, this is my girlfriend, Esme."

"Oh! Esme! I feel bad for you, sweetie." Kristina tapped Esme's belly with her fingertip. My girl took a step back.

"I feel like the luckiest woman in the whole wide world."

Kristina crept closer to me until her chest was touching mine. "Oh, isn't that a shame, because I know who my soul mate is, and I'm looking at him right now."

"He knocked me up. Just get away from us before I kill you," Esme threatened the clueless woman.

"You got an old lady pregnant!"

I dipped Esme and kissed her passionately. Then, we took off. Kristina stamped her foot and cried in the background.

"How dare they!" Esme angrily stated as she got into the passenger seat. She slammed the car door shut. I buckled her in and we were off to lunch.

"I know, baby."

We shared a large cheese, pepperoni, and sausage pizza. "Oh, that was good!" she commented.

"It was!"

We left the pizza place and re-entered my car to go to Sweet P's Bake Shop. After stuffing ourselves with cheesecake, we went back to my house.

Right away, Esme went into my living room and sat on the couch. "Eating with you made me feel a little better..."

"Yeah, you didn't really talk to me that much. Are you still upset?" I took a seat next to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulder.

"Why do you like me if there's so many women who want to get in your pants?" she asked while a tear made a jagged line down her cheek and dripped off her chin.

"Oh, sweetheart..." I sighed and cupped her face in my hands. "I love you for countless reasons." I kissed her temple and licked her tear away. "I've never had a girlfriend before, since none of them felt real to me."

"So I'm not fake. Well, neither were those girls who just flirted with you!" she exploded.

"Honey, they just like me because they think I'm handsome. They know nothing about me."

"Well, you are! I'm fat...and old...and torn apart, whereas you and that Kristina girl are like the brown haired versions of Barbie and Ken!"

"No, no...let me explain. When I first saw you, your beauty captivated me. You pulled me in with those gorgeous eyes of yours and that sweet smile. I just knew that you were someone I wanted to get to know a lot better. I've never had that reaction to any other woman before."

"You mean...when Charles threw me out of the office during yours and Lily's meeting with him?" She sniffled.

"Yes. If I didn't love you, I would have forgotten all about you once Charles kicked you out. I imagined you laying beside me, me holding and kissing you...you being in my life forever."

"You did?"

"Of course I did. Every time you tried to pull away from me, I held you tighter. I stayed to talk to you after bumping into you when we told each other our names. You had to go right after I asked you out on a date. When you said you were married, I thought there was no hope for us. You were even scared to talk to me as a friend. Fortunately, Renee gave me her cell phone number so I could call you when you went to her house for your Friday night sleepovers. I was honored when you opened up to me about your past. I took every opportunity I had to spend time with you. I even ran in the rain to hold you while you were afraid of the storm that one night at Renee's house. Then, I almost kissed you...but we got interrupted. I love you so much that I was in a forbidden relationship with you. I cried when you were in that stupid coma. It was like a brick was lifted from my chest when you woke up. Even when you kicked me in the balls, threatened to give me a gruesome death, and told me to leave your life, I waited for you to get your life back on track. I was so proud of you when you killed Charles. I was ecstatic that your mom was alive after all and your daughter was Alice. I enjoyed every moment I was with you, and I still do. If I didn't love you, I would have given up right after you kicked me in the balls. When I left you, I could never keep you out of my memory. I love you too much to forget about you." I said this while my eyes were locked into hers. "I can't live without you. I just felt...empty...when we were separated for almost a month."

"Once I'm all healed, you'll get sick of me and try helping some other broken woman...who is younger than me and not pregnant."

"I am happy that I chose you to be my girlfriend and I am glad that you accepted it with all your heart and spirit. I don't know what to do without you, babe. It seems unreal that you want me as your boyfriend. I also feel like there's never enough time that I've spent with you."

"What do you see when you look at me?" She rested her back on the arm of the couch and I brought her legs up and laid them in my lap.

"I see an amazing woman who is worth being with. Her heart is bigger than the sky, her personality is sweeter than any cane of sugar, and she is warmer than the sun. I see a tough, beautiful, young woman with a troubled past and a bright future ahead of her, since she's learned to overcome this past and is trying her very best to heal from her emotional and physical scars. I'm so proud of how far she's come. I see a wonderful mother with a genius daughter and is going to give birth to another baby girl in four months. She has done an excellent job with Alice and I can see that she is taking care of the baby in her womb. I see my girlfriend, who has the ability to love passionately...my sweet baby girl...who likes tween music, and movies with good endings, hates regular coffee but loves skinny mochas with whipped cream, considers red roses her favorite flowers, and has her own unique style. You're not like other women I've met before. I admire those things about you. You, Esme Anne Platt, are the woman who I want to eventually be my wife. Nobody else but you."

"You're telling the truth?" she asked with her eyes glistening with tears.

I caressed her hair. "Of course I am. I'll show you just how much I love you." With that, I placed feather-light kisses upon her forehead and temple. "Your intelligence..." I kissed the spot behind her ears and gave her a butterfly kiss, "And I can't stop looking into your eyes..." I kissed the skin around her eyes, her nose, and her cheeks. "Your rosy cheeks..." and her lips. "Your pretty and enchanting smile...your contagious laugh..." I went on to her chin, her jaw, all around her neck, down both her arms, hands, legs, and both sides of her hips and finally, I stopped at her belly. "And I also love your future child, which is also mine." I suckled on every part of her belly and she moaned in contentment. "I want your children. I want to grow old with you and sit on a porch swing somewhere, surrounded by all of our grandchildren. I want us to die in each other's arms."

"That is a nice picture of our future...should we get our friends now and tell them about us?"

"Sure, let's go." I got up and took both of her hands in mine, but not before sucking the supple flesh around her lips. "I also enjoy your adorable giggle and your lovely voice."

Our friends were ecstatic. We told them after inviting them all to Esme's house. Renee and Lily were jumping up and down with Esme, screaming, "Oh my god, I knew it!" Charlie and Will patted me on the back and gave me hi-fives. The kids cheered and sang a song for us that made me laugh and Esme turn pink.

"Carlisle and Esme, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage!"

Elizabeth giggled. "They said that about me and Peter too! Is it okay if he comes?"

"Sure," Anne said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Yay, because he's here right now!"

Peter stepped out from behind Emmett and Jasper. "I thought you would be mad at me!"

Anne shook her head. "No, we could never be mad at you! Where's your mom?"

"She's not here, so Elizabeth's mommy drove me! We're next door neighbors. Carlisle knows her."

"How do you know Peter's mom?" Esme asked me.

"She and Peter were next to me on the plane when I came home from London."

"Mommy's got a boyfriend!" Peter sang. "His name is Alex! She's on a date with him right now! Who are you, lady next to Carlisle?"

"Oh, how nice!" Esme squealed. "I'm Esme, Carlisle's girlfriend."

"Hello, I'm Peter!" The little boy shook hands with Esme.

Introductions started for people who didn't know each other. Everyone knew us, so we snuck to an empty room and started kissing like there was no tomorrow.

"God, I love your hair, Ezzie," I said as I ran my hands through it. "It's so long and beautiful."

"Your hair feels nice too," she whispered while fisting my hair in her hands, "and your kisses make me see stars..."

"My sweet and dazzling girlfriend..."

"Your hands on my skin..."

"You drive me insane..."

"So do you...but in a good way," she breathed out.

"Ohhh, baby..." Our lips were attached in seconds and my tongue explored around her mouth.

"My awesome and handsome boyfriend..." Esme was able to get out before the door popped open.

"Get a room!"

**Thanks for reading and reviewing: K.K. Fush, TeamCullenx, that kiwi chick, Caresme'sChild,TheMortician'sDaughter, Just4Me, MrsCarlisleCullen13, CarlisleandEsme, Petabethfan, and TeamCarlisleandEsme8!**


	34. Holiday Girl

**Thanks for beta'ing, K.K. Fush, and prereading, TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Esme POV

I jumped in his arms when we heard the voice and then it continued. "Not even Renee and Charlie are as bad as you two, and they're a honeymoon couple too! Jesus, you guys are all over each other!"

"Shut up, Lily," Carlisle said teasingly and gave her the finger. I looked down at the floor, all embarrassed, while we walked out into the kitchen. The women then started to help Mom cook, so that meant the men went outside and set up the barbecue.

"You were with Carlisle, weren't you?" Renee asked. I felt the warmth spread over my cheeks and busied myself with pouring the beans into a pot.

"Guilty as charged."

Mom lifted up my face with her hand under my chin. "That is a beard burn, missy."

"Stop it," I grumbled and shoved her hand away.

"Oh my god, is that a hickey?" Lily asked, trying to sneak a peek. I grabbed my hair and covered my neck.

"Shut up!" I tried to frown at her, but I ended up giggling instead.

"Oh, and there's one on her hip, too!" Renee pointed out, and I swatted her with a dish towel. _Damn my crop top!_

"Go away!"

"Aw, my little Ezzie's all grown up!" I picked up what I was stirring the beans with.

"Renee, I've got a ladle and I'm not afraid to use it!" I warned.

"Bring it!" She held up one of the spatulas she was flipping hamburgers with.

We fought while cracking up until my beans had to be mixed again and Renee had to flip her burgers over and put cheese on them.

The kids were in charge of getting out the buns and condiments. I heard Lily and Renee joking that their husbands were going to put their wieners in their hot dog buns and add condiments. I groaned and put my face in my hands.

"Girls, not in front of the children and my mother!" I hissed at them. "I do not want to know!"

"You've got a dirty mind!" Lily rolled her eyes at me.

"My best friend's mind is in the gutter! Oh God, help me," Renee added.

"Says the two women who make sex jokes all the time..." I whispered. My mom just shook her head at us. The kids, thankfully, had no idea what we were talking about.

Mom cooked the chicken and Lily worked on the hot dogs. Later, the three guys came in with barbecued buns, so everyone was able to serve themselves. I spooned the beans into a huge plastic bowl and put it on the counter. Emmett, Jasper, and Peter got out the plates, while Alice, Rosalie, and Elizabeth set the table.

I stocked my plate with beans, half a cheeseburger and half a hot dog, both with ketchup and mustard. Carlisle had a whole hamburger and hot dog, plus chicken and beans. We sat next to each other at the table, with our kids, plus the Hale twins on either side of us. Mom sat at the head of the table, and the other side of the table was filled with Will, Lily, Peter, Elizabeth, Renee, and Charlie. Light conversation took place while everyone ate, and Carlisle held my hand under the table, except for when we needed both of our hands to eat something. We gave each other dreamy stares unless someone was talking to one of us. The children were chattering happily and the adults were laughing wholeheartedly as they shared stories with one another. Carlisle and I joined in on the fun, too, but we were mostly in our own world and commented when it was necessary.

"You all did a great job in preparation for this wonderful meal. Thank you," Mom announced when we finished.

We started saying, "You're welcome!" and then took pictures after we cleaned our dishes and put them in the dishwasher. It was time for our family friends to go home, so the goodbye hugs began. The last family to leave was Carlisle and Emmett.

"I don't want you to go..." I pouted when I stared up into Carlisle deep blue eyes. Our hands were still intertwined.

"Neither do I...I can stay, if you want...then, I have to leave early tomorrow morning for the hospital, and Emmett would still be here."

"I'll have to ask my mom. Mom!"

"Yeah?" came the response from the kitchen.

"Can Carlisle stay over for the night?"

"He can, but where would Emmett sleep?"

"How about in my room? I'll sleep with Grandma!" Alice said excitedly.

"Your bed's too small," Emmett sighed unhappily. "I guess I'll sleep on the couch. It's okay."

"Are you sure?" she asked him.

"For one night, I don't mind."

"Okay, good!"

"Hey, bud, lucky for you, the couch is a pull-out," I informed Emmett. "Want me to help you set it up?"

"Yes, when I'm ready to go to bed!" He jumped on the couch and stretched his legs out. Alice walked over to him.

"Make room for me, dude."

"Sure thing."

"Do you kids want to watch TV?" Mom asked when she came into the room.

"We just wanna talk," Emmett told her.

"Privately," Alice added, and we left the room.

"Well...I'm going upstairs to watch the news. No more hickeys," Mom scolded us. "They look tacky, and you'll be embarrassed of them when school starts in a month."

Once she left, I rolled my eyes. "God, I'm not a child...I'm a young woman in love!"

"I suggest you start wearing a scarf when school starts." Carlisle winked at me and pulled me in for a long kiss. I giggled.

"It'll be too warm for one! My mom's so overprotective! You know, I love her and all, but I wish I lived alone, with Alice. Nobody over the age of twenty-two lives with their parents. It's creepy, unless they have a disability in which they can't live alone."

"You and Alice can always move in with me."

My heart fluttered at his words, but my head told me it wasn't a good idea. "I've never heard of a couple living together without having sex. Besides, do you want our kids walking in on us every morning?"

"We just have to work on timing, that's all."

"Maybe when I've known you for a year, I'll consider pretending to be your roommate. Also, I can't just walk out on my mom like that. We've lost twenty years together. I can't ever get that back, but she's here now. Besides, you only have two bedrooms, one for you and one for Emmett. How can I even begin with the baby's room? I'd have to make another one in your guest room!"

"You never know, Esme, she might be tired of her adult daughter living with her."

"I don't think so! I need to stay with her. I don't want to hurt her feelings!"

"I know that...you could tell her as nicely as you can that you want to live with me, Emmett, and Alice."

"I'm either so nice that I can't get my point across, or I'm so harsh that I'm a bitch."

"Do you want to practice with me? I'll pretend I'm your mom."

"Okay, but don't talk in a high-pitched voice. That'll make me laugh and lose concentration."

"I won't. So, do you want to start, or should I?"

"I'll start, since she wouldn't be thinking of throwing me out."

He nodded. "That sounds more realistic."

"Who are you talking about?"

I was startled when I heard my mom at the top of the stairs. "Oh...hi, Mom. We were just saying...that Emmett and Alice want bunk beds."

"Esme, what are you getting at?"

"You know how Carlisle and I are like...dating? And, uh, our kids are becoming best friends? No, more like brother and sister?"

"Yes. I think that's fabulous."

"Um, Mom...I have to talk to you."

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Carlisle asked me to move in with him...and Alice would come with me. Would you mind living here alone? We'll visit you a lot, I promise."

"Esme...you may do whatever you want. You're an adult who can function well on her own and has a job. If you choose to live with Carlisle, I have no problem with it."

I inhaled and exhaled deeply. "So, no hard feelings?"

"I'll miss you, but considering that we live minutes away from each other, you can come see me quite frequently. Are you really ready to move out? I just got you back..."

"I'm waiting five more months to see..."

"This is a big step, but I'm glad you're making it. It means you're healing."

I nodded. "I see adults around me, living alone with their partner and their child, and I want to be like them. I want to have a normal adulthood, to move on from my abnormal childhood. We don't live in a third-world country where people live with their parents and grandparents."

"That is true. People might start to think you're mentally disabled if you're still here. In fact, they probably already do."

"Everyone who I've talked to knows about my past. I get it if you're embarrassed that your adult daughter still lives with you."

"I'm not..."

"So we're good?"

"We always have been," she murmured and hugged me tightly. "My baby's leaving me..."

I kissed her cheek. "Not yet, Mom. It's really for the best."

"I know..." She released me and turned to Carlisle. "You'll take care of her, won't you?"

"I will, I love her very much, Anne."

"You are welcome to come back anytime you wish."

"Mom," I laughed, "I haven't moved out yet!"

"I have to keep reminding myself of that. Okay, thanks for the heads up. I'll be upstairs if you need me. Good night." She kissed the top of my head and Carlisle shook her hand. She trudged up the stairs.

"Man, now I feel bad!" I complained. "I've probably broken her heart. She's gonna start crying any minute now..."

"Don't worry about it, honey. She's strong. It may be strange for her at first, but we'll keep our word. We'll see her every single day." Carlisle's words comforted me, but I still wanted to check up on her when we went upstairs.

"We're gonna live together? All four of us?" Alice asked suddenly, with Emmett on her tail.

I smiled down at her. "Yes, possibly at the end of the year."

Their faces lit up. "Can we get bunk beds, Dad?" Emmett asked Carlisle. "You know, for me and Alice?"

"Of course we can, but we _do_ have a guest room..."

"I'll build bunk beds for the kids and sleep in the guest room," I announced.

"I thought you'd sleep with your boyfriend," Alice teased.

I blushed. "No, not every night, it's not appropriate until we're married."

"Oh okay. I'm fine with the pull-out couch when I visit here," Emmett said.

"That's good," Carlisle told him. "It was comfortable the last time I slept on it."

"Cool! Can you guys help me set it up? I want to relax on it, with Alice."

"Yes," the both of us replied in unison. I got a pillow and blankets from the linen closet, and then we transformed the couch into a bed.

Emmett sat down and leaned back with his hands behind his head. "Ahhh, this is the life!"

Alice sat next to him, cross-legged. "Thank you!"

I chuckled. "You're welcome, guys."

"Do you want anything? Like snacks, a movie, what?" Carlisle asked them.

"Can we have popcorn?" Emmett requested.

"Let's watch _Diary of a Wimpy Kid_!" Alice said and turned on the television. She brought up Netflix streaming and started playing the movie when Emmett nodded in agreement.

"Popcorn, coming right up," I said and we made the popcorn for the kids. We separated it into two bowls and gave it to them. We weren't hungry, so we ended up watching the movie with them. When it was over, they fell fast asleep on each armchair.

"That won't be comfortable when they wake up," Carlisle whispered to me.

"I know. Should we move them onto pillows?"

"Yeah, let's do it without waking them."

Carlisle and I carefully lifted Emmett and laid his head on the pillow. We placed a blanket over his body and kissed him on both cheeks. I ran my hand through his curls.

"Mom..." he mumbled and I glanced at Carlisle for an answer while my heart skipped a beat. "Come back..."

"I think he's dreaming about his mom dying or vanishing...he's had that dream multiple times before."

"He called me Mom when I touched him...I can't help but wonder if he was talking to me."

"Maybe he was. You never know."

We stood up and went over to Alice's side of the bed. She was easier for me to pick up by myself, so I took her in my arms and kissed her forehead. I carried her upstairs and put her to bed next to my mom. Mom looked at me with red-rimmed eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mom," I mumbled and felt instantly guilty.

"It's okay, sweetie...I understand. I'll get over it." She wrapped her arms around my daughter and I kissed them both good night. Then, we exited her room and went into mine.

"This is the first time I've been in your room with the light turned on," Carlisle noticed aloud.

"Cool space, huh?" I asked him.

"It is!" He took off his shoes and laid on my bed.

"I'll be back." I got my white nightgown from my closet and went into the bathroom to change. I ran a brush through my hair, collected my clothes, and returned to my bedroom. Carlisle was still relaxing with his eyes closed, so I jumped on my bed to wake him up. He pulled me down for a kiss. I threw my clothes in my closet.

"You look so angelic in that."

I looked down at my outfit. "Thank you."

Our lips moved together for at least an hour and then I heard someone shouting, "Mom! Mom, don't go! Mom, please..."

"It's Emmett," Carlisle said with a sigh.

I pushed myself away from him. "I'll go check up on him."

"Are you sure?"

"He needs his mom. I'll be there for him."

Carlisle put his hand on my cheek. "You are the most wonderful woman to exist on this planet."

I bent down and kissed him. "Thanks, but I don't want to keep him waiting."

I left the room and tiptoed downstairs. I squinted so my eyes could adjust to the darkness in the room Emmett was sleeping in. He was thrashing around on the couch and pounding the pillow with his fist.

"Mom...why are you dressed like the devil? Don't do this to me, please...don't take drugs...don't die..."

I sat on the side of the couch and it creaked under my weight. "Em...wake up, you're having a nightmare."

"Mom, why are you laughing like that? No, stop...Mom!" he called out.

I shook him gently to wake him up. He sat straight up against the back of the couch while panting.

"I want my mom..."

"Shhh..." I scooted closer to him and hugged him. "I'm right here," I whispered and ran my fingers through his hair. "You're safe now. Nobody will hurt you."

Emmett rubbed his eyes open and had a death grip on my arms that were embracing him. "Esme...I didn't mean to make you come down here."

"It's okay," I comforted him. "You'll be my son eventually."

"You look so much different than the mom I saw while I was sleeping..."

"What did she look like?" I asked, hoping that I was better looking than this other woman.

"She was really skinny...almost anorexic...and blonde. She had eyes the color of blood...and her mouth opened to reveal sharp, pointy teeth. It was like she was a vampire...and she wore this long, black dress that spread out around her feet, like a cloak. She kept repeating...'Emmett, come with me, and we will be hidden from the world, forever...be with me, my boy...I love you so much...' Then, she grabbed me by the hair and disappeared in a thick cloud of black smoke."

"Creepy," I muttered and put my hand under his chin. "Well, she's not real. Try not to think about her too much. Dreams reveal your thoughts and your imagination getting really wild. Has your dad told you about your mom before?"

"He just said she wasn't a very nice person, she'd be better off dead, and she turned into a criminal. Oh, and she cheated, too."

That sounded like a good lie. It was close to the truth. "Well. I'm glad you don't know your mom, then. I'm relieved you haven't met her either."

"She can't _really_ be a vampire, can she?"

"They don't exist. Since you know she wasn't a good human being, your imagination conjured up this female demon. Does that make sense?"

"I guess so..."

"Can you go back to sleep now?"

"Yes, but there's just one more thing I want to say."

"What?"

"You remind me of an angel, sent from above. I wish you really were my biological mom."

"Thank you, buddy." I squeezed him tighter and rocked him from side to side. "You'll be my adopted son very soon. Good night."

"Good night."

I kissed the top of his head and we bumped fists. Then, I went back upstairs and found Carlisle fast asleep on my bed. I gave him a few kisses on his cheek to rouse him.

"Hey, baby..." He ghosted his lips across mine and I smiled at the contact. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he had a very strange nightmare about his mother...she was a vampire and she was trying to suck him into her dark world."

"Poor guy...it's a recurring nightmare he can't get away from."

"I know. I told him not to think about her so much. That was the best advice I could give him."

"That's excellent advice. He hasn't had that nightmare since he was a child..."

"But you said it was recurring."

"It was, when he was little. I'm surprised it came back so suddenly."

"He's probably been thinking about her a lot lately."

"I really want that bitch out of his mind forever. Maybe if he realizes that you're a great mom to him, he'll dream about you being his mom instead."

"That would be good."

"Thank you for taking care of him. I could have, but you volunteered."

"I wanted to spend some quality time with your son, just like you love playing with my daughter. It's real family bonding."

"Exactly."

"You know, Esme, you look beautiful with your hair like this..."

I twirled a pigtail around my finger. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Well, I feel uncomfortable sleeping with ponies in my hair, so I'm taking them out." I continued to play with my hair after it was all the way down.

"I can visualize you as some kind of princess...the one who wears a long, white nightgown, sings a merry tune, hangs her hair out the window, and lets birds attach themselves to her extended index finger."

I laughed. "That's all the Disney princesses combined."

"They belong to some guy named Walt...but you're special. You're _my_ princess."

"Carlisle's princess. I like the sound of that."

"Me too." We shared a deep kiss and I gasped for breath when we were finished.

He lifted me up so we could gaze out my window. I opened the sheer curtains and let the cool air in. "The moon is so pretty tonight."

"As it is every night. Let's go out there."

I giggled. "Okay."

"Is this tree close enough to the house to climb down?" He gestured to a tree outside.

"Yes, but you'd be crazy to get on that branch..."

Carlisle already had me on piggyback while he stepped down carefully. "We don't want to wake up the others."

"We might fall..."

"I won't let us."

I held my breath until his feet touched the ground and he set me down beside him. The grass and leaves crunched under my feet as I walked around my backyard with him holding my hand.

"Well, here we are..."

He put his hands on either side of me while my back was against my house. "All alone..."

"I can barely see you." I wrapped my arms around myself and giggled.

"Can you feel me?" He inched his lips closer to my face until they brushed my open mouth.

"Mmm..." My knees started to shake, so he cupped my elbows in his hands and pulled me to him.

"Did I get you weak in the knees?" he asked.

"You always do."

"Come on, sweetie." He picked me up bridal style and ran to his car. I laughed out loud.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see!"

"It's after midnight!"

"We're night owls, right?"

"Yeah, but...you're crazy!"

"I might be!" he exclaimed with a snicker.

He drove us to LaPush Beach and the air was somehow chillier, probably because we were near an ocean.

Carlisle came up behind me and put his arms around my waist. The wind made my nightdress billow out and I had to smooth it down my thighs to make it stay. Together, we strolled down to the quiet, dark, sparkling, blue ocean and listened to the waves crash against the shore. The only light we had was the moon, which was up in the sky and shining down on the scene before us. Cold water washed over my bare feet and I squealed in surprise.

"Freezing, huh?" he asked, and I nodded.

"I was sweating before...well, I guess this cools me off now!"

"Want to go in?"

"Only if you don't let me fall!"

"I won't, I promise."

We splashed into the ocean and I almost tripped over the slippery, rocky bottom, but he held me upright. My nightdress was sopping wet and it stuck to my legs like glue. Carlisle's kisses made me feel better, but I thought ahead.

"Oh no, now my feet are going to be all sandy!" I whined, but I couldn't stop smiling. I'd always wanted to do this because I'd seen it in movies, and it looked like fun.

"I'll take you back to my car and get you dried off."

"What about you? Your jeans are soaked!"

"Yeah, luckily, I left my socks in the car...I'll manage." He scooped me up in his arms and rushed to the car. His teeth were chattering, too, so when we both got inside, I turned on the heat.

"Oh, thank you, honey..." He threw a towel on my lap and I put my legs on his thighs. He dried my wet legs and then got the sand off his jeans and bare feet. "This was a wild idea, huh?"

"It was!"

Within minutes, we were back in my room and shivering, so he put my blanket over us.

"Ready to sleep, my love?" he asked. I curled into his side and nodded.

"Night, Carlisle," I said quietly.

His work schedule drove me insane. I couldn't see him as much as I wanted to, but at least he was still able to have sleepovers with me. Then, the school year started and I got busy with my job. We had many dates and nights of being in each other's arms and enjoying ourselves. The nights got colder as summer turned to fall, then to winter. Now, when I looked out the window, I saw a fresh blanket of snow covering the ground. This was good news, though. It meant Carlisle's birthday was soon and my baby was about to be born!

The gang had Thanksgiving on his birthday again, but this time, it was held at my house, just like our summer cookout was. I got him something a little more special for his birthday.

"You're a quarter of a century now. Happy birthday," I murmured and kissed his cheek when we sat down on the couch together. He was opening his presents in front of everyone, and Mom had a camera.

"Thank you, Esme." He opened his card and smiled at the sweet message I'd written inside, and when I handed him a black box, he stared at it with many questions in his eyes.

"Open it up! What are you waiting for?"

He lifted the lid of the box and gasped. "Ez..."

"I hope it fits...I want everyone to see you're taken too..."

Carlisle slid his promise ring on his wedding finger. "Thanks, baby girl...this means a lot. Really."

He kissed me for a long moment and a collected "Awww!" went through our audience.

"I'm glad you like it," I said shyly. "I got your ring size from Charlie. Look at the inside."

He took his ring off and peered very closely at what was inscribed there. "My heart is yours...very nice, sweetie pie."

"Thanks..."

He'd been teaching me how to drive for the past few months as well. Christmas came with more surprises, the first being my new car. It was what I had always wanted, a red convertible. I ran out to hug it, and then I jumped in his arms and he spun me around while I giggled madly. The second surprise was going to Carlisle's house and finding out that he made the baby's room exactly like it was created at my place. He got a lot of hugs and kisses from me after that. The third and final surprise was my baby being born.

I knew it was the time for me to give birth, since I went into false labor a few days before it happened. That time, though, my contractions were closer together. Carlisle had the bright idea of giving me a bath at his house to calm me down and also, if my water broke, I wouldn't make a mess. I tied my hair up into a bun and he massaged me while we were both in the warm water in our swimming gear, but when the backs of his fingers touched where my bikini strap tied on the back of my neck and mid-back, I freaked out. Of course, he didn't try anything, but my emotions were going haywire. Other than that incident, it was very romantic. He had candles set up in there and everything. I enjoyed his kisses on my neck and shoulders and his hands smoothing down my belly, back, arms, and legs. It left a tingling feeling in the pit of my stomach. Suddenly, I felt something trickling down my legs.

"Oh, god, the baby's coming!" I shouted just after I realized it. "Wow, that hurts!" The contractions were beginning to really make themselves known, and then he threw a nightgown over my wet form and rushed us to the hospital. It wasn't long before I was in a wheelchair, panting and keeling over. I screamed in pain and the flashback of that horrible night was suddenly right before my eyes. Sharp cramps blasted all over my abdomen as I pushed as hard as I could, and I was reminded of _them _punching me there. The burning aches continued through my crotch while the doctor shouted that she could see the baby crowning. I squeezed my eyes shut and my fingernails dug themselves into my palms as I remembered the disgusting, unwanted sex. Tears ran down my cheeks and I could feel someone holding my hand. Why would anyone want to touch me when I looked like such a mess?

"Just breathe, and squeeze my hand," a man's voice commanded. It was familiar, comforting, and so I did what he said. "She's almost out, dear. She's almost out."

The shoulders were the worst. I gave out the loudest shriek while the infant slipped out of my body. Teeny arms went up, then her torso, and finally, her legs. When the heels of her feet were on the blanket, I collapsed on my pillow, sighing with relief while hiccuping blindly and shaking like a leaf. Finally, my baby was out of me. The nurses cleaned her off and a small, wailing bundle in a blanket was placed upon my chest.

Carlisle helped me sit up so I could hold my baby. I smiled down at her. "Hi, Cynthia," I cooed.

She was so tiny that she was the length of my forearm. Her eyes darted all around the room as she cried and the first thing I noticed about her was that she was dark-skinned and her eyes were almond-shaped. She had little tufts of curly black hair, and then I realized she didn't look like me at all. I chose not to care, because she was my baby, and she'd never meet whoever her father was. Carlisle looked down at her with love in his eyes and I ran my knuckles across her cheeks.

"My precious little angel..." I wept while kissing her forehead. "Here, Carlisle, hold her."

"I'd love to." He picked Cynthia up and rocked her in his arms. "You're one of the best things I've gotten this year...besides your mother and my promise ring, of course. My second daughter...Cynthia Elizabeth Platt."

My heart warmed and I hugged him around his waist. Cynthia babbled, but she looked very unaware of what was going on around her. Alice and Emmett were then allowed to come in the room and hold her.

"Hey, little sis..." Alice said. "You're so adorable."

"Awww, yeah, you are..." Emmett agreed. They both gave her kisses on her cheeks and she giggled. "I'll be the best big brother ever. You know how protective I am of Alice? Well, I'll be that way with you too."

I smiled. "That's really sweet of you, Em."

"Thanks, Mom."

I was startled. This was the first time he'd called me his mom, and not in his sleep either.

"So, Daddy...welcome to the family. You've gotten the stamp of approval ever since you brought my mommy and I back together," Alice chirped.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows. "Thank you very much, Alice."

"You're welcome!"

"We better adopt each other's kids," I pointed out.

"Yeah, let's do that."

It didn't take long at all. All we had to go through were bunches of paperwork and house inspections. It was almost too easy, with Renee's help. She was good friends with one of the people who worked at Child Protective Services. I made bunk beds for Carlisle's house, and together, we set them up in Emmett's room after getting rid of his old bed, which was now stripped of his blankets and sheets. It would later be used for Cynthia, but for now, it stayed in the basement. Needless to say, he and Alice were very happy with the arrangement. They'd live in both houses interchangeably until I moved out.

We also found out that my baby was hard of hearing, when I was up with her the night she was born. She was quietly sleeping on my shoulder, and then I jumped when I heard Carlisle turn on the blender for a smoothie. I wasn't expecting that, but what surprised me even more is when she didn't move. We went to the doctor right away, and then learned that we needed to take sign language classes.

It wasn't even Christmas yet, but I felt like I got everything I wanted, from Carlisle becoming my boyfriend to being able to hold my newborn baby in my arms. I didn't get that opportunity when I was eighteen, but better late than never.

On the actual morning of Christmas, I was laying in my bed with Carlisle holding me. It was almost seven when we were jostled by two excited children and a wailing infant, who was in Mom's arms. We sat up, and Emmett climbed in between Carlisle and I. Alice sat in his lap, and Mom handed me my newest little girl. Alice and Cynthia were already in their adorable matching green dresses and cute little red bows in their black hair. Emmett was still in his pajamas and giving us a huge, dimpled smile.

"Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad!" He threw his arms around our shoulders and held us close to his sides.

"Yeah, Mommy and Daddy, Merry Christmas!" Alice copied him. She tapped Carlisle's cheek. "Kiss her! I have the mistletoe, so it's your duty!" She picked out a piece of mistletoe and held it above our heads. We laughed and kissed each other.

Cynthia swiveled her head around so she wouldn't miss the action. She saw us kiss, so she pointed at us and said in her babble, "Rah-rah!"

"She's singing Lady Gaga now. Apparently, you two are in a bad romance," Anne murmured, and we chuckled. "Come on down for presents, guys."

I almost forgot! Five pairs of feet scrambled down the stairs and all we heard besides the lively holiday music was ripping and tearing. We even ate breakfast while opening our gifts. It was a very nice day, and everyone was grateful for what they got. We got family pictures in front of the lovely, decorated tree, and Cynthia's favorite part of the day was grabbing at the ornaments and staring at herself in the silver balls. Mom snapped pictures of the five of us, and quite a number of them starred Emmett and Alice standing perfectly still in the middle of Carlisle and I, and Cynthia twisting in my arms to try to get the ornaments. It was hilarious.

Days later, my mom hosted a New Years Eve party and after that, the kids decided to go out for sleepovers at their friends' houses. I left my newborn baby with my mom, since she and Renee said I needed a night out after all this. It _was _New Years Eve, after all.

I was on the couch with Carlisle, watching a New Years Eve special when he stood up out of the blue.

"Let's go dancing."

"Right now?"

"Yes, now...at the Twilight Lounge. We've never gone there alone together before. Plus, you've got a red dress on, and red dresses are totally in at bars."

"I'd love to!" I cheered excitedly. He got a beer and I guzzled down my strawberry daiquiri. We danced with our glasses in our hands and then a slow song started.

"Happy New Year!" someone shouted, and then the countdown began. We made out when the clock struck midnight.

"To new beginnings." Carlisle raised his glass.

"To new beginnings," I echoed him and touched his glass with mine.

**Thank you to reviewers Caresme'sChild, loveislovexoxoxoxoxo, K.K. Fush, that kiwi chick, TheMortician'sDaughter, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, TeamCullenx, MrsCarlisleCullen13, and Just4Me!**


	35. Roses and Diamonds

**Thank you for beta'ing, K.K. Fush and prereading, TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Carlisle POV

Five years. It took Esme five years to heal. She and I had lived together for five years, but we still weren't husband and wife. Our friends and children joked that we were in a five-year engagement, but it for sure seemed like we were. We had the commitment rings.

The kids weren't babies anymore. We still had Emmett's play set in the backyard for Cynthia, who was now four years old. Alice was finishing up her freshman year of high school at only twelve years of age. Emmett was almost sixteen and learning how to drive. The thought scared me and excited me at the same time. Five years went by pretty fast. I sighed and relaxed when I felt two soft arms wrap themselves around my shoulders.

"I'm so over the hill," Esme moaned with her lips in my hair. She kissed my cheek. "I've just turned thirty-one…and our babies aren't babies anymore!"

"And I'm gonna be thirty in about five months…face it, babe, we're getting older each day. That's how life is."

"I wish I could live forever…I want to stay this age. I don't want any wrinkles or gray hair. That's unrealistic thinking, I know, but…I'm just afraid that if I stop being beautiful…"

I shook my head and patted the seat next to me on the couch. She placed herself by my side and swung her legs up and across my lap. "Baby, you'll never stop looking pretty. Besides, I'm aging right along with you. I'll probably have gray hair and wrinkles before you do. There's always hair dye and anti-aging wrinkle cream. I will always love you, until the day we die. Remember what I told you when we started dating the second time?"

She swiveled around so her legs hung off the edge of the couch and her head was on my chest. "Yeah. You want me to pass away in your arms. I'll never forget what you told me."

I grinned and pecked her temple. "Good. Well, it's Saturday afternoon and our kids are at the Hales' house. Cynthia is napping."

Esme eyed me suspiciously. "Carlisle…what are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" I pulled her face closer to mine so I could kiss her. "I'm saying that this is a perfect time for a makeout session. What do you think?"

"We're like teenagers, still!" Esme giggled until our lips touched over and over again. We were so into the kiss and my hands wandered all over her body. A few seconds later, she was straddling me, and apparently, she didn't care that my boner was poking her stomach. She didn't care when I massaged her soft, warm skin under her shirt. She didn't care that she was gasping for breath while my tongue swarmed around her mouth. I cradled the back of her head and my fingers were tangled in her smooth, caramel waves.

"Oh my God, Carlisle," she moaned into my mouth. "This isn't fair…I'm immobile," she said breathlessly while our lips disconnected. "I was trying to take your top off, but your arms were tightly wrapped around me!"

"Ezzie…your legs are around my waist. You can take off my shirt whenever you like. Are you okay in this position?"

"I'm all right…I feel really hot, but in an amazing way, trust me. Even though we don't do PDA anymore, I enjoy our private time. We've been together for five years and it's time I do something else besides kiss you."

"Esme, you don't have to!"

"Carlisle. We're not going to spend the rest of our lives with me being a cockblocker who draws the line at kissing like some…prude!"

"Sweetie, you are not a prude. Don't worry, you just need to take your time."

"It's been five years. I've had so much time it's not even funny! I make you have a cold shower every single night! I feel so bad!"

"No, come on…even if we did have sex, I'd still get a hard-on over you and have to cool off in the shower. That's normal for men."

Esme blushed bright red. "Okay, I've been wanting to tell you this for a while now…um…when I take a shower and wash…my private area…it feels…oh, god, how can I say this? Touching myself makes me all…horny. My legs get a little wobbly…and…I couldn't stop thinking of the time when I saw you naked. It was like, when you were drunk and I was taking care of you. You came out of the shower, and I've had secret fantasies about you ever since."

Her eyes were lowered the whole time she confessed her sexual desires for me. I stroked her cheek with my thumb. "Honey, don't be shy about that. I've jacked off to your hot body every single night. So, is this why you wanted to straddle me all of a sudden?"

She nodded slowly. "I couldn't help myself. I kind of wish we _were _married right now! Then, we could try doing it."

"We can have sex before marriage, you know. What are we, religious freaks? I'm not."

"Yeah, me neither…I'm just too scared…there's kids here, you know. Rosalie and Emmett caught us kissing, and from that moment on, we've only been this passionate with each other when the kids aren't home. I can't risk them seeing us…like that. It will scar them for life. It probably already has, but sex is much worse for the eyes than just kissing. Later, we can tell them that we do that stuff because we're husband and wife."

"Yeah, I see your point. We can wait until we're married."

She sighed heavily and we held each other until the kids came home. That was when I decided to propose to her, for real this time. I knew she was prepared for marriage. We agreed on five years, and it had been that long. She had to be ready.

"Mama!" a little voice shouted from upstairs. "Daddy!"

We opened our eyes and got up off the couch. Cynthia was now awake and we had to get her before she fell down the stairs. She started walking when she was one, and naturally, we were both excited and wanted to get it on YouTube or something. We started baby-proofing the house, but there was nothing we could do about the flight of stairs. The little girl had a bad habit of misjudging where the carpet upstairs and the very top stair met, and she was surprised that the stairs were steep, for her anyway. Esme told her to alert us when she woke up, so Cynthia did it every time. She was such a good girl. She also got her genius traits from her big sister, since she started reading and spelling easy words at age three. I was surprised Esme didn't put her in kindergarten yet.

"Mama, come on!" Cynthia waved Esme forwards and Esme ran up the stairs. After getting Cynthia's hearing aids and putting them in her ears, Esme picked up our child and bounced her a few times in her arms.

"Hello, Miss Cynthia. How are you?"

"Good, Mama! Look, I can sign the alphabet while you sing it! Ready, set, go!"

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G…H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P…Q, R, S…T, U, V…W, X, Y, and Z. Now I know my ABC's…next time, won't you sing with me!" Esme crooned while Cynthia kept up with her. It was so adorable and when both of them reached the bottom stair, I wrapped them up in a hug.

"Daddy, Mama, I wanna try running," she announced. Esme sat her down and sent me to the other side of the room.

"Run to Daddy," I encouraged her.

Her little feet pattered across the floor and she jumped in my arms. Sure, she tripped a few times, but she was almost an expert. I spun her around and she laughed.

"Excellent job, baby!" I kissed her cheeks and held her up in the air to blow a raspberry on her tiny belly. She laughed loudly and Esme beamed. The doorbell rang and Cynthia squealed. She loved guests, especially when they were her brother and sister. I got the door.

"Hey, Dad," Emmett greeted me. He was too embarrassed to hug me anymore, so we just bumped fists. Alice was right behind him, and she gave me a big smile. She wasn't afraid to give me a hug. Her spunky attitude hadn't disappeared from when she was seven. She talked for hours about how her day went and then tickled Cynthia to death.

"Mom, can you start packing Lunchables pizza again? I miss those from when we were in elementary school," Alice piped up.

"Oh, those are unhealthy, but I guess I could give it to you every great once in a while," Esme said reluctantly.

"You give it to Cynthia all the time," Emmett whined.

"I do not, you know that." Esme rolled her eyes.

"Kids, enough pestering your mother," I reprimanded them.

"Sorry."

"Look! I'm Daddy!" Cynthia shouted from Esme's arms. She had a strand of Esme's hair curled over her mouth and we had to laugh.

"Emmett is _so_ overprotective, I swear!" Alice complained at the dinner table that night.

"That dude was giving you a once-over. You're twelve! You're too young to get checked out!"

Esme stifled a giggle and Alice rolled her eyes. "Come on, Emmett, we're in high school."

"But…you're my little sister!" he protested.

"Okay, but they don't even talk to me. Boys just look at me, so I ignore them. It's creepy. I like Jasper, not anyone else."

"And I like Rosalie. It's just too bad that our crushes are taken."

"Already?" Esme asked incredulously as she put Cynthia in her high chair and gave her canned peas and carrots. "They're only fourteen!"

"Rose won't stop talking about Royce. Jasper adores Maria. We're single," Alice said sadly.

"Sometimes, life works out like that. Your mom and I broke up twice before we became a couple for the last five years," I informed them. I squeezed Esme's hand gently and smiled.

"You should propose to her," Emmett said.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll accept it. Third time's the charm, right?" Alice winked at us mischievously.

I wiggled the ring around Esme's fourth finger on her left hand. "Maybe…"

"We'll think about it," Esme said with a smile.

The next day, I took Alice to buy Esme a wedding band that was more expensive than her promise ring. Alice knew everything flashy and I remembered her ring size.

"So, Alice, I know your mom likes really sparkly rings…but what would look better than the one she has on now?"

"There's a ring here that says _forever_ etched on the inside. It's a gold band with a diamond right in the middle of it." She pointed it out in the glass case. "See that one?"

"It's beautiful, just like your mom."

"Perfect!"

It was almost a thousand dollars and we both walked out of the jewelry store, pleased. It was in a white box and I hid it in my sock drawer. I also plucked red roses from Lily's garden.

Alice had a knowing smile on her face when I asked Esme out to dinner that night and told her to dress up. She went out to buy a dress, even though all of her formal outfits were beyond gorgeous, and she had locked herself in the guestroom with Alice. I knocked on the door.

"Can I come in, babe?"

"No! I'm still getting ready, and you're not allowed to see what I look like until I come down the stairs!"

I groaned and she laughed. "That's okay, I'm not ready either."

Emmett came up behind me with a suit and tie. "Well go, get ready!"

I took a fast shower and shaved my goatee. I got into my black suit with the white box in my pocket, and put on my dark blue tie. I sprayed cologne all over myself and combed my hair back. Last but not least were my shoes. I walked out of the bathroom and Emmett gave me a thumbs up. "Oh, you look fancy for her, Dad."

I chuckled. "Thank you, son."

"Daddy, are we going to a party?" Cynthia asked sweetly. "Mommy looks really pretty!"

"I bet she does, Cynthia. Unfortunately, we're not going to a party. I'm taking your mommy out to someplace very special."

"But…but…" she sputtered and her eyes filled with tears. "I wanna be a princess too, like Mommy! I want a pwetty dwess!"

"Aw, Cynthia…" I bent down and picked her up. "You can wear a pretty dress. Ali and Emmett can help you find one and then they can put your hair up into cute pigtails. You three can have a party of your own." I brushed away her tears and she reached her hand up to pat my face.

"Okay, Daddy."

"Bye, sweetheart." I kissed the top of her head and set her down so she could run off to play with Alice and Emmett. I went downstairs just as I saw Esme making her way down the steps in black one-inch heels.

She looked absolutely charming. Her hair was in delicate curls all down her back and shoulders. Her eyes were lined in black and her lips were covered in lipstick. She was wearing a black dress with a V-neck that showed a lot of her cleavage, and the hem of her dress ended just above her knees. As she came closer, I could see that she had a silver bracelet around her wrist, diamonds hanging from her ears, and a lovely necklace situated perfectly between the tops of her breasts.

"Hello, beautiful." I took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "How are you this fine evening?"

"I'm excited. We haven't been out in like, forever, thanks to me living here. We're really used to each other."

"I like it that way. Are you ready to go?" I asked, still holding her hand.

"Yeah."

I went into another room and gave her the flowers. She stared at them and sighed deeply. "Thank you…"

"You're welcome." We kissed for a few seconds until the kids came down and hugged us goodbye.

"Dad, not too late," Emmett teased.

"Yeah, you guys have fun!" Alice said cheerfully and waved at us.

"Bye bye…" Cynthia looked sad, so we gave her extra hugs and kisses.

"Okay, Cynthia just had her dinner, and now, she needs to go to bed. You two can stay up until we get home. Bye, baby girls…and my boy," Esme told them while we walked out the door. We heard the lock click from the inside, so we knew the kids would be safe.

"I hope Emmett doesn't host a party or something," I sighed.

"Why would he? He's only fifteen."

"You know high school boys. He's Emmett, the popular football player that all the girls love. It's the first time we've been out. Usually, _they're_ the ones who are out."

"Carlisle, we have to trust them. Besides, my baby is sleeping upstairs. You can check up on them like, every hour. Renee and Lily do that when their kids are home alone."

We got into the car and I started it up. "Okay, you're right, love. I agree with you."

"Thank you. So, what's the occasion?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out. We're going someplace we've never gone before…the Cheesecake Factory in Seattle."

"That's a long drive. Wow, I can't believe it. I think I know what this is, but I don't want to say it and spoil the big surprise that you're hiding. You look so handsome."

"Thanks, honey. You're so adorable and breathtaking in that outfit."

"You're welcome, and thanks for the compliment."

"Want some music?"

"Oh, sure."

I turned on pop songs while I drove us to the Cheesecake Factory. After the songs got a little annoying, I turned off the radio. We were finally at the restaurant. I helped her out of the car and we walked to the door together. I swung our joined hands between our hips and opened the door for us. Esme looked around in amazement.

"This, my darling, is the Cheesecake Factory. We'll get a spectacular view."

"Wow," was all she could say.

"I know, right? Hey," I greeted the hostess, "can I get a table for two with a great view?"

"Oh, sure," the dark haired woman said. She led us to a candlelit table with roses in the center of it. I pulled out Esme's chair for her and sat down on my own chair.

We got water automatically and ordered margaritas to start with. She sipped hers with her straw and looked at me occasionally. I let mine sit there and thought about what I was going to say and when I was going to say it.

The waiter gave us bread and asked what we wanted for dinner.

"Skinny-licious pasta," Esme requested.

"I'll have the same," I agreed.

"So, where should we go from here?" she asked tentatively when the waiter walked away.

"From...here?"

"Am I still your roommate or can I sleep in your bed?" Esme looked at me with a puzzled expression and bit her lip.

"Whatever you want."

She sighed and tried a different approach. "Carlisle, I bought a black dress at Port Angeles. I haven't bought a dress in ages, much less a black one. We've hardly left the house except to take the kids to school or to go to friends' houses. We're living like newlyweds with stepkids but we haven't done anything to show that we're a family."

"So take a family picture," I suggested. "And what does your black dress have to do with it?"

"You really haven't noticed anything about me, have you?" She clasped her hands together on the table and leaned closer to me. "I feel like I've changed a little..."

"Changed...how?" I was still very confused.

"I have never bought a dress all by myself. I've always wanted my friends' opinions, but today, I got my own. I tried on about fifteen dresses in the mirror before I chose this one. I haven't gone to a meeting with Ella since you and I became a couple, five years ago. I know that I am a good mother, and sure, I have some insecurities, but I am mostly normal. I feel stronger, like I can do anything, be anything I want to be. I'm a principal, a mother, and now...a girlfriend. I've changed. I want whatever this is between us to be bigger and better. I won't screw this up. I promise." She put her hands over mine. "I'm no longer a victim. I...I'm a survivor."

I knew it was time. The food would be here soon, but I wanted us to be officially engaged right now. "Esme, I know where you're coming from. Okay? I've loved you for about five and a half years. I don't ever want to lose you. I'm terrified of losing you."

"Then don't lose me. Don't let me run away."

"I would never. I'd tie you to a chair first."

She giggled. "You're so into me."

"I am. Listen, we have this fiery passion that we never actually let go. I believe that you were still in love with me, even when you kicked me where the sun didn't shine that day in the hospital after your coma."

"I'm sorry." She shook her head and glanced at her freshly painted nails.

"Don't apologize."

"Sorry," she repeated.

"Sorry for being sorry?"

She shrugged and laughed. "Yeah, well...you touched me, and I was having a moment...I was imagining you were the...monsters."

"I...should not have done that."

"Don't beat yourself up about it. I should've realized that move would trigger something inside you."

"It's alright. I was fascinated by you when we first saw each other. You were the first, and only man, to stare at me with fondness. It was like I knew you wanted to be my friend. A part of me thought you were doing some kind of charity work...trying to help the poor woman being attacked by the mean old master of the school. Another part of me swooned at your knight in shining armor-ness, and you know what, I believed that you truly and honestly loved me."

"You were the princess. I slayed the dragon."

"Technically, I did, but you beat him up."

We smiled at each other. "Esme...you have always been a tough woman. You're traumatized by your past, but now, all the demons are gone. Your strength kept you alive."

"I know, I know." She rolled her eyes. "Carlisle, I fell in love with you all over again when you were there for me...even after I threw that pillow at you."

"Don't forget when you slapped me across the face."

Esme smirked. "And you still loved me and asked me for a slow dance at Renee's wedding, stayed over at my house, and didn't disappear when I tried to mutilate myself."

"I knew you would get better. I believed in you."

"Thank you. Also, because of you, I know how to swim and how to drive. It feels wonderful. I appreciate everything you've done for me. You swept me off my feet both physically and emotionally. You were there for me since day one."

"Esme, we're living together and getting steamier every day. Our kids call us both Mom and Dad. Everything would be a lot simpler if you were Mrs. Cullen and your daughters took my surname. Plus, I've missed you in my bed."

"Carlisle, what are you saying?"

I pulled the ring out of my pocket and opened the box. "I'm telling you to close your eyes."

Her eyes shut and I slid the ring over her finger. "Um, should I open my eyes now?"

"You may."

The next time I looked from her finger to her face, I noticed that her eyes were glistening with tears. She wasn't speaking, she only kept staring at her hand where the ring glittered.

"Baby...will you do me the honor of being my wife, forever and always?"

She nodded. "Yes. Oh, yes, I would love to be your wife!" Joyful drops of water trickled down her cheeks as she got up from her seat and jumped on my lap. I gazed into her eyes and kissed her softly on her lipstick-covered mouth.

"Guess the kids were right. Third time really _is _the charm."

"But this is the second time you've proposed to me."

"We've fallen in love three times. The first time, we were secretly in a relationship. The second time, we were flirty friends. The third time, we had nothing to hide and we knew that our feelings for each other were real."

"It took you five years to say that."

"That it did."

"God, I love you so much."

"Ezzie, you're the only woman that I will ever love."

Our tongues had a party until I was tapped on the shoulder. We looked up to see the waiter.

"Your food's on the table," he informed us and then strutted away.

"I guess I should probably get out of your lap," Esme chuckled. "So, when are you thinking we should have the wedding? Or, we can decide together." She sat back in her seat.

"How about August thirtieth? Is two and a half months enough time for us to prepare?"

"As soon as possible. It could actually be earlier than that. I want to be able to get ready for the next school year way after the wedding."

"I can take time off work whenever we have our honeymoon."

Esme took a bite of her food before saying, "Honeymoon?"

"What kind of husband would I be if I didn't take my wife on a honeymoon after our wedding?" I stuffed pasta in my mouth.

"Where should we go? By the way, I want to have the wedding on July thirtieth. Exactly five years after we started dating."

"Maybe we can go to some foreign place. And that date sounds okay...right in the middle of the summer. Perfect, actually."

"We...don't have to do what I say, you know. I want the wedding to be soon, and you want it to be nice and hot for our vacation. How about...June thirtieth?"

"June thirtieth it is. And we'd be back by the time Emmett's birthday rolls around."

"We'll crash his super sweet sixteen party." Esme pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh.

"Great. That can be his surprise present, from us. Oh, and the car, too."

"No way! You got him a car?"

"Jeep Wrangler."

"It runs smoothly?"

"Rosalie made sure it did. Lily tells me that she's very into cars. I gave her about fifty bucks for it."

Esme opened her eyes wide. "Wow, you're amazing."

"You know, she and Alice are making money in other ways. Babysitting."

"Yeah, they babysit Cynthia and don't take my money, but I put it in their birthday money."

"You are a terrific mom."

"Who do you think I learned it from?"

"Anne Platt."

"That was a rhetorical question. Well, anyway, you're a very good father. Making sure your son's new car is in perfect condition...letting him throw a sweet sixteen the day we get home from our honeymoon...which should be in Paris, if you want my choice."

"Thank you. Paris? Why Paris?"

"It's the city of romance. It's so beautiful there in the summer."

"Well, I was thinking going off the coast of Brazil and buying an island for you...but I'd have to be mega-rich to do that."

"Isle Esme. Yes, I remember you mentioned that, the day you met my mom."

We'd finished our food, but we were talking so much that we forgot where we were. We were only reminded when the waiter came over to give us the dessert menu. There were so many treats to choose from, but we ordered an Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake to share.

"I'm already thinking of what to pack," she said excitedly.

"I'm sure whatever you pack will be great. Who should be my best men, Emmett and Charlie?"

"Of course, and my girls will be my bridesmaids. Cynthia is obviously the flower girl."

Our spoons clanked together when we dug in at the same time. "Oh, sorry."

"This is so good!" she exclaimed when she licked her lips free of chocolate. "I don't even feel bad eating this. Dessert once in a while is fine. As long as it doesn't bother you that I'm short and wide, I don't care."

"You're not that short...and you're actually pretty slender."

"I have curves."

"In _all _the right places." I stroked her hand that wasn't picking up the spoon. "In fact, I wish you were in my cheesecake right now."

Esme hid her face and blushed. "You're so kinky."

"I'm glad I can make you blush."

"Just eat the rest of this." She rolled her eyes and pushed the bowl all the way into my spot.

"Sure, thanks, sweetheart."

"You're welcome."

When we were done with dessert, we split the bill and headed home.

"Esme, I didn't get the chance to tell you this sooner."

"What?"

"You in that black dress...I want to ravish you like a crazed vampire."

"Mmm...too bad we're inches away from our house and in front of the Hales' mailbox."

I backed up a little and leaned over my seat to kiss her while unbuckling both of our seatbelts. Our lips connected and we lapped up each other's saliva. I moved my hungry mouth to her neck and sucked on it until she squeaked.

"Oh, no, did I hurt you?" I asked worriedly.

She looked at me with half-shut eyes and gasped deeply. "I feel like I'm about to faint. That doesn't hurt at all. What you do to me...how you touch me...it's absolutely wonderful. Keep doing it. Please."

And so we continued until I had her just about hooking her legs around my shoulders and her back was pressed up against the steering wheel. The windows were so fogged up that I couldn't see a thing until her dress slid down her legs and I could see hot pink lacy panties. It only made me go harder.

"Damn it...we should stop." I pulled away and she let out a sad moan.

"Why?"

"Because we need to get back home. It's almost midnight, and we have to check up on the kids. Make sure they didn't throw wild parties or burn the house down."

"Right," she sighed.

We returned to my dark house-well, really, _our _house- and found the kids sleeping soundly. We went into Emmett's old room where little Cynthia was sleeping and kissed her cheeks. A light suddenly went on. We looked around to find the source.

"Mom."

"Dad."

"You're home," both Alice and Emmett whispered.

"Hey, guys. I thought you were asleep." Esme walked towards the bunk bed and bent down to Alice's bottom bunk. They switched top and bottom every night.

"No, just texting my friends," Alice replied.

"Same here," Emmett said from above.

"How did it go?"

"Your mom said yes."

Alice's face broke into a grin and she hugged us both. Emmett climbed down from his bed and gave me a high five. "Finally," they whispered in unison.

**Boo, school is starting, and there's five chapters left after this one! Thank you very much to readers and reviewers: TeamCullenx, K.K. Fush, CarlisleandEsme, MrsCarlisleCullen13, Caresme'sChild, Just4Me, TheMortician'sDaughter, that kiwi chick, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, and loveislovexoxoxoxoxo!**


	36. Party Time

**Thanks for beta'ing, K.K. Fush, and prereading, TheMortician'sDaughter!**

Esme POV

As soon as the kids were asleep, Carlisle took me out of their bedroom and went into my room. His lips were on mine immediately and I started unfastening the buttons of his shirt before he could even shrug his jacket off. The erotic feeling between my legs wouldn't go away and I needed to see him shirtless.

"Excited, aren't we, Ez?" He winked at me when I peeled off his jacket and shirt at the same time with success.

"I want to try something new. Close your eyes and let me know how this feels." I began to suck on his neck and my tongue swarmed around his rough skin.

"Uh...oh yeah..." he grunted. "I love you, baby."

My lips removed from his great-tasting neck and attached themselves to his lips. My bare skin was touching his, and I had my legs around his waist. We both sank down on the bed while making out.

"I can't believe you'll be my husband in a few weeks. I'm so excited that I forgot to text the girls!" I reached for my phone and told them the news while Carlisle kissed the back of my neck and shoulders. He played with my hair as I took off all of my jewelry.

"I've wanted to be your husband ever since I met you."

"Oh my god, stop it."

"Now, I have the pleasure of calling you my fiancee."

"Carlisle, you're making me swoon!" I cried as my heart stopped for the thousandth time that night.

"Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Esme Anne Platt is now the woman I plan to marry!" He raised his fists in the air triumphantly.

I wanted to play a game. Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I asked in a flirty tone, "So, can you introduce me to the lucky lady?" I batted my eyes and fluttered my fingers in his direction.

"I'm looking right at her," he murmured and kissed my hand.

I blushed. "Are you sure of that?"

"You're the only Esme Anne Platt I know of."

I sighed as he caressed my cheek with his thumb. "Tonight has been one of the best nights in my life."

"Before you graced me with your presence, all I had were dating websites, and Lily setting me up with different women in college. Those relationships didn't last long at all."

"So, I came in at the right time?"

"You did. Although, if we met when we were in middle school, I would have had us run away together, to a faraway place."

"Well, only a quarter of my life sucked. That's not bad at all."

"You're right. I get about sixty years left to live with my sweetheart."

"Sixty years? What about eighty?" I challenged him. "You never know, we might live past a hundred."

"We'll be together, in life _and _in death. I promise you."

He held me in my bed all night.

The following morning, I called my mom to tell her I was getting hitched in two weeks. This resulted in her taking Renee, Lily, and I out shopping for dresses. I hated to leave Carlisle, but at the same time, I wanted to find an awesome wedding dress. I had always wondered how I looked in all white. We each tried on about twenty dresses, after the other women finished gushing about the fact that I was actually engaged to _the _Carlisle Cullen.

"So, how did it happen?" Renee pressed. "As your maid of honor, I should know."

"How most proposals happen...okay, so he didn't get down on his knee in the traditional way, but he took me to dinner, we had a long talk, and he told me to close my eyes-"

"And?" Lily interrupted.

"I'm getting to that part!" I said abruptly, but I was too overjoyed to be exasperated. "Anyway, when he told me to close my eyes, he slipped the ring on my finger like a sly fox. Naturally, I was surprised," I bragged. I knew what it was as soon as I felt the cold metal upon my flesh, but I wanted to hear my friends' and my mom's squeals of excitement.

"I'm thinking of wearing purple. What do you think?" Renee asked me.

"You're my maid of honor, my favorite color is purple, so I approve. Lily, you can wear any shade of purple you want."

Lily nodded and sifted through a rack of purple dresses. She chose lavender while Renee decided on the sleeveless violet dress she had on at the moment.

"What about the mother of the bride?" Mom wanted to know.

"How about this purple flowered one? Very summery, huh?" I handed a dress to her.

"Oh, nice...thank you, honey."

"You're welcome. I want to hold red roses while I walk down the aisle. Cynthia would scatter some pink flowers in her purple dress. I'm not sure when the kids are getting their outfits for the wedding, but it's in two weeks...and who is taking Carlisle out for his tux fitting?"

"Esme, calm down..." Renee put her hands on my shoulders.

"Calm down? The wedding is in two weeks, and you want me to calm down?"

"We'll get everything taken care of," Lily assured me.

"Just focus on yourself, and let everyone else deal with what they need to do. You're in charge of you," Renee said. "Now, breathe."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Oh, god. I guess I'm just nervous and excited at the same time."

"I felt like that too," Lily said with a laugh.

"Same," Renee agreed.

"At the end of it all, your wedding will be very magical," Mom promised me. "Now, let's look for your dress. We're buying ours right now."

"None of these dresses work. They're all scratchy," I complained.

"Well, what dress did you have in mind?" Renee asked.

"I wanted something nice and flowy...and strapless, since it'll be a hot day."

"This is David's Bridal. I'm sure they've got something! How about this one?" Mom struggled to get out a dress that I was standing in front of. Renee and Lily helped her hold it out for me. I stared at it in wonder.

"After five hours of endless shopping, this is perfect!" I gasped. "Embroidered flower patterns on the chest, a strap around the waist with a flower on the hip...and the material of the skirt is so smooth and sheer! I love it! Let me try it on!"

They helped me into the dress and it fit quite nicely. Fortunately, the store had it in my size. Luck was on our side, since we found white shoes to go with our dresses. The veil was easy to pick out, too.

"Okay, young lady. This stays in my closet, and you're sleeping over at my house on the eve of the wedding," Renee told me with a smile.

"You got it!"

When I got back home, I was surprised to see Alice, Rosalie, Elizabeth, Cynthia, Emmett, Jasper, and Peter, walking down the street with shopping bags in their hands. I suspected their mothers had told them they were buying wedding dresses, and they got the bright idea to prepare for the wedding as well. I unlocked the door with my house keys and saw Carlisle sitting on the couch, hugging a bag to his chest.

"Let me guess. You bought your tux."

He grinned and gave me a thumbs-up in approval. "Charlie, Will, and I had a nice guy's day out. We bought our tuxedos, suits, pants, and shoes."

I sat in his lap and played with the hair on the nape of his neck. "My dress is at Renee's house. You can't see it yet."

"Oh, come on," he pouted. "I'm your fiance."

"It's bad luck. Sorry," I chuckled.

"Alright, then it's against the rules for you to see the groom's clothes."

"Deal." We shook hands and tried to look at each other professionally, but we ended up laughing and hugging each other instead.

"Babe, I was thinking we could write our own vows."

"Sounds like a fine idea."

"We will have a fantastic wedding," he said and gazed into my eyes. I blinked and he pressed his lips to mine. We made out until I had to cook dinner.

"Hey, hey, good lookin',  
>Whatcha got cookin'?<br>How's about cookin' somethin' up with me?"

I giggled when I heard Carlisle singing from behind me. "I'm trying to make spaghetti for tonight's dinner, but you are distracting me!"

His arms went around my waist and he kept at it.

"Hey, sweet baby,  
>Don't you think maybe<br>We could find us a brand new recipe?  
>I got a hot-rod Ford and a two-dollar bill<br>And I know a spot right over the hill.  
>There's soda pop and the dancin's free,<br>So if you wanna have fun come along with me..."

I stopped stirring the noodles and turned around so we were now face to face. "You don't want me to make dinner, do you?" My hands were on my hips and I tried to look serious, but his sillyness brought a wide smile on my face.

"Well, honey, Cynthia seemed to enjoy it!"

I glanced down at my little girl. "Mama, I was dancing!"

I rolled my eyes. "After I finish dinner, we can have some fun."

"Daddy, let's dance!"

I started making the sauce while watching Carlisle turn on the radio. Cynthia stood on his toes as they danced together.

"That is really cute..."

"Mom, what's for dinner?" Emmett asked when he came into the kitchen.

"We are having spaghetti!"

"Yay! Pasketti!" Cynthia cheered and laughed. "Lookit, I'm dancing with Daddy!"

Carlisle lifted her up in the air and spun her around. Emmett held his arms out toward her. "What about a dance with your big brother?"

"Okay! Bye, Daddy! I'm dancin' with Emmie!"

"Aw, sis, don't call me Emmie!"

"Why?"

"That's a girl's name!"

I heard the door open. "Guys, I'm home! Can Rose sleep over?"

Emmett's eyes brightened and he smirked. "Yes, Alice, she can sleep over!"

Alice ran into the kitchen with Rosalie on her heels and glared at Emmett. "I didn't ask you. Mom? Dad?"

"Sure," we said at the same time.

"Yes!" both girls shouted.

"Ali! Rosie!" Cynthia said excitedly. The girls enveloped her in a hug.

"Hey, Cynthia, how are you?" Rosalie asked.

"I'm happy! I wanna dance all the time!"

"Can you do ballet?" Alice asked.

"Ballet?"

Alice and Rosalie both did a pirouette and Cynthia copied them. They clapped for her and she pulled them out of the kitchen. Emmett followed them and then it was just Carlisle and I.

"Pasta's almost ready. Care to test it?" I offered him a noodle after blowing on it a few times.

He threw it in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Could use a few more minutes."

"Okay, thanks."

A while later, I finished the pasta and Carlisle had me up against the wall. He was kissing me one minute, and the next, he was shouting for the kids to come downstairs for dinner.

"Damn it," I panted. "Why do you tease me like that?"

"You deserve a little fun right after making dinner. I'll help you cut up the food for Cynthia. Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie can serve themselves."

I sighed and tried to ignore the feeling of want building up inside me. I needed him to touch me again, to hold me...to love me.

"Mama, we got pretty dresses, and Em got a monkey suit!" Cynthia said when we sat down at the table.

"Is it okay if Vera's little brother, Henry is the ringbearer?" Rosalie requested. "He's like, five, so..."

"Mom, I'm so glad you wanted purple for a bridesmaid dress, because I adore that color!" Alice exclaimed.

"Elizabeth and Peter are now a couple!" Emmett blurted out. "They'd look great together at the wedding."

"Whoa, whoa!" I held my hands up and felt overwhelmed. "One at a time. I'm happy about all of what you said, and in response to your question, Rose, yes, of course little Henry can be the ringbearer."

"Great!"

Carlisle put his hand on my knee and massaged it lightly. We looked fondly at each other as we ate, and I'm sure the kids didn't miss it, even though their eyes were glued to their food.

Everyone was preparing for the wedding. I had appointments lined up for the whole of the morning before my wedding. My vows were written a thousand times over until I finally felt what I wrote was good enough for my man. I'd poured out my thoughts straight from my heart and onto that little piece of notepad paper. I teared up a few times at what I'd said about him without even reading it to myself out loud. I recited it in front of my friends, my daughters, and my mom. They cried, and Cynthia clapped. It had to be special.

Invitations were sent out to hundreds of guests. They were made on the computer and printed on fancy paper. We wanted the wedding to be outside, in Renee's backyard. Carlisle and I picked out a three-tiered chocolate cake with white frosting. We made sure there was a plastic man and woman inserted in the very top of it. People were already sending gifts to us days before our wedding. We couldn't open them until after.

So much stuff was going on that we sank down on the couch and laid in each other's arms until our stomachs rumbled.

"I'm hungry," I said and rubbed my belly.

"Wanna go out for dinner?"

"Sounds good."

We talked during the ride, and when we got our meals, we chewed our food until it was gone about ten minutes later. Naturally, I had to use the bathroom. I burped.

"Excuse you," Carlisle said. Then he let out a louder belch.

"Hey, don't make fun of me! I'm gonna use the little girl's room." I got up and strode away to the restroom.

Looking behind me to make sure Carlisle wasn't watching, I rubbed my belly and opened the door. When I spotted someone using a urinal, my mind finally registered that I was in the men's room. My face heated up and I got out of there as quickly as I could while breathing heavily. I used the ladies room and washed my hands. I snuck past the men's room and looked at the carpeted floor while returning to our table. I sat down with a sigh of relief.

"Your face is red...are you okay?" Carlisle asked me.

I covered my eyes. "I'm so embarrassed! I accidentally walked into the men's room! I wasn't paying attention! Damn it! Oh, my poor eyes! They burn! I actually saw someone taking a piss!"

He let out a roar of laughter and I slammed my fist on the table. "That's not funny!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure everyone's done that at some point in their life. I've gone into a women's locker room by mistake. They screamed at me to get out and chased me with bras and tampons, trying to use them as weapons, I guess."

That got me smiling again. "Thank god the guy didn't see me! I think it's more dangerous for a man to go into a women's restroom."

"It is. Guys are just more horny."

"They are."

A few evenings later, it was time for my bachelorette party. Lily picked me up in her van and I sat in the passenger seat next to her. I realized that I wouldn't see Carlisle for a whole fifteen hours. The wedding started at noon.

"Lily, do you mind? I sorta forgot that Carlisle will be my husband tomorrow!" I said a little too loudly.

"Go ahead."

I rushed out of her car and ran up to Carlisle, who was just stepping out onto his porch. Just when I jumped into his arms, he spun me around and we kissed passionately.

"Good night, my sweet Esme," he murmured before setting me back to my feet.

"Good night, my almost husband." We swayed from side to side and then we saw a police car stop at Carlisle's curb. Elizabeth walked past me and Alice let her inside our house. They were going to have a slumber party with Rosalie and babysit Cynthia. Emmett was already over at Jasper's house.

"I love you, my almost wife."

"I...I do too...I love you," I whispered, but my voice trailed off and blended into the sound of the honk of Charlie's horn.

Our hands lost contact when he kissed me good night for the last time before we were a married couple. I walked slowly towards Lily's car, and Renee caught up with me.

"Is he going to go to a strip club?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh, no, he's not. Charlie said that he, Billy, Harry, Eleazar and Will were taking him to the Twilight Lounge for a boys' only night. They're gonna get shit drunk, and we girls are going to hang out in my den, formerly called the teen lounge, have a slumber party, pour wine, strawberry margaritas, and daiquiris down our throats, and sing karaoke!"

"That sounds fun!" I was truly relieved. I trusted Carlisle, but I didn't want anyone even setting their sights on my future husband!

Renee directed Lily to Carmen's house, and after Carmen joined us, we picked up Sarah and Sue. We exchanged hugs and Lily drove us to Renee's house. It was the first time most of our friends had been inside her house, so they made nice comments about how spacious her house was.

"It's quiet without Charlie and Elizabeth, that's for sure," Renee pointed out.

I tapped her arm. "Just like when I first met Carlisle."

"Yeah! Oh, I'm going to give the best speech ever!"

The women laughed and Renee poured us all drinks. "Nothing embarrassing, please!" I begged.

"Um, if she thinks what Renee's gonna say is going to be humiliating, wait 'till she finds out what's in her suitcase for the honeymoon!" Carmen said after drinking a few glasses of wine. Lily jabbed her in the chest. Someone knocked on the door and Renee went to get it. My mom burst in and gave me a hug.

"What's in my suitcase?" I asked nervously.

"Nothing," Sarah and Sue both said innocently. They pushed Carmen back on the couch and snickered. My mom had the same look on her face that said she was keeping a secret from her daughter.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I check?" I was suspicious they were hiding something from me.

"It's a surprise!" Renee said quickly. "Have a glass of strawberry daiquiri." She practically shoved the drink in my hand and held it up to my lips. It tasted so good that I forgot all my worries. Everyone took turns singing random songs until my head got fuzzy and all the beats were the same. My voice was very high when I sang while drunk, apparently. I almost shrieked to the lyrics of "Call Me Maybe", and all the ladies were giggling.

"I'm glad my singing amuses you," I muttered as I fell on the couch between Renee and Carmen.

"We're gonna play Truth or Dare!" Renee announced. She took another sip of her wine and set her glass down on the table. "Oh, first, I've gotta get the ice cream. Oreo, Esme's favorite."

"Yes!" I screamed like I won the lottery. My best friend left the room and came back with the tub in a few seconds flat. In her other hand, she was holding seven spoons.

"Okay, girls, this is almost gone. Let's use it up."

"Alright, junk food," Lily sighed.

"Should we start the game?" Carmen asked after putting some ice cream in her mouth. I took a scoop after she did.

"Sure. Esme can go first, since she's the bride-to-be." Renee smiled at me gently and patted my thigh. "Truth or dare?"

I pursed my lips. "Truth."

"What are you looking forward to after your wedding with Carlisle?"

"Consummating our marriage," I said honestly and blushed. "The only problem is, we've had sex with other people."

"Being raped doesn't make you lose your virginity. Not emotionally, at least. In that sense, both of you are virgins," Lily informed me.

"She's right," Renee said quietly.

"Okay, well, that's why I'm excited about it. We're going to experience our first time, and it'll feel good for both of us." I rubbed my hands in anticipation and grinned wickedly at Carmen. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," she said immediately.

"Alright, strip down to your bra and undies, go outside, and run up and down the street. At the top of your lungs, yell _tu eres una puta_ until you get back inside."

Our friends cracked up and Carmen shoved me to the side. I just giggled while she peeled off her shirt and jeans. Renee laid back and took a long swig of her red wine. As soon as Carmen disappeared, we looked out the window. She was sprinting and waving her arms around wildly.

"Oh god, she's really doing it. This is hilarious!" Lily said through bursts of laughter. "Let's hope nobody calls the police."

"You girls are too silly!" Mom said and covered her eyes with her hands.

After a few minutes, Carmen was a panting mess on Renee's foyer. She quickly got her clothes back on and rubbed her arms. "It's freezing out there, and thank god nobody came out of their house! I will get you back, Ez, one of these days." I gasped and pretended to be frightened.

"You love me too much." I stuck out my tongue at her.

"You're a bad girl. Hey, Renee, truth or dare."

"I pick truth."

"What is something you've never told anyone, not even Esme?"

"I tell her everything! We're best friends."

"Yeah, I'm really the only one she can trust," I spoke up.

"Okay...what's the absolute worst thing you've ever done?"

Renee thought hard for a moment. "I took a large amount of my parents' money to take the bus to Anne's house. The police found out I ran away when I was sleeping on a bench at a bus station when I'd missed the bus, and I had to hand over the money. Later, I called Anne and explained my situation. She adopted me, and all was well."

"Wow, that's a story you've never really told me," I said in a shocked tone.

"It wasn't important. You didn't need to know that I was once homeless."

"Yeah, and you probably forgot about it until Carmen brought up the subject. It's okay."

"I'm glad you understand. All right...Lily, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to make yourself over, but put lipstick on your eyes and eye makeup on your lips."

"That will feel weird," Lily protested. "I'm not backing out, though."

"Good." Renee beamed and got out a bunch of makeup supplies. "Here's a mirror and your paintbrushes."

When she was done, she looked like a clown. We helped her clean it off, and then she got facts out of Sue and Sarah. Their kids, Jacob and Leah, were dating. We knew it all along. The other truth they told us was that they'd once stayed up literally, all night, and then crashed in their car at one in the afternoon when they were teenagers. It was a very relatable story. Mom opened up to us about how she met my dad. After truth or dare, we took crazy pictures that we hoped would never surface online.

The ice cream was gone, the songs had all played out, and the liquor bottles were empty. We were tired and at three in the morning, we finally fell asleep.

"Esme, it's your big day!" Someone touched my forehead with an ice pack and I squeaked in surprise. It was now nine in the morning. "Time to get primped for the special occasion!

"Oh, Renee, you scared me! When's my appointment? The wedding's in three hours!"

"Relax, I'll take you to the hair and makeup place. Then I can do your nails."

"Thank you," I said in one breath.

My hair was down my back and in tight curls. My eyes were lined in black and my cheeks were decorated a nice pink color. My lips were the color of blood. I couldn't stop staring at myself in the mirror.

"Wow, I look really different."

"Is that good?" the stylist wondered aloud.

"It's very good. I love how I look."

The girls got me into my dress and made sure it glided across the ground without getting snagged on my heels. The veil was placed upon my head like a headband and the cloth was over my face. I could barely see through it, so I closed my eyes while Renee painted my fingernails and my toenails.

"You're getting blue nail polish, for the something blue. And here's my necklace from when I went to homecoming in high school, so that's something old." I felt her fasten the clasp on the back of my neck. "Something new...here's an early wedding present." She clipped a bracelet around my right wrist and I felt myself smile broadly.

"We all chipped in for the cost of the wedding," Lily added on.

"Your something borrowed is my pearl earrings." I put in Renee's earrings and thanked all of my friends profusely.

When they left to get themselves ready, my mom came into my room, all dressed, and sat on Renee's bed. I could see her behind me while I looked in the mirror.

"Your dad would have loved to escort you down the aisle. I bet he's smiling down at you from heaven. You finally got your happiness."

"I've been giddy since Carlisle came waltzing into my life, and you and Alice made my family complete."

"I remember when you used to push our heads together so we could kiss."

"So that's where Alice gets it from," I laughed. "She did that to me and Carlisle when she was seven and we first started dating, for real."

"Aha! And you used to dance on your father's toes when you were just an itsy bitsy thing."

"Cynthia does that with Carlisle. My daughters have learned a lot from me, I suppose."

"I know they have. Would you like me to take you down the aisle?"

"I'd love that, Mom. Thank you." I got up from my chair and hugged her tightly.

"I love you, sweetheart." She kissed the top of my head. "I don't want you to ruin your makeup. Promise me no crying until after the wedding?"

"I don't know if I can hold the tears in," I said shakily. I kept glancing out the window as the three pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen walked down the dirt aisle, followed by Renee and Charlie, my maid of honor and Carlisle's best man. Alice, Rosalie, and Elizabeth looked so darling next to Jasper, Emmett, and Peter. I saw Cynthia and Henry starting to tiptoe down the aisle. Mom linked arms with me and helped me up. The pink petals scattered around the aisle and I picked up my bouquet of roses.

"It's our turn, baby."

I took small, unsteady steps down the stairs as the wedding music got louder and louder. As soon as we reached Renee's back door, my heart was beating so fast that I gasped to catch my breath. When the warm afternoon sun hit me, I lowered my eyes to the ground and slowly raised them. The backyard looked so beautiful. Carlisle was on the other side in his handsome black and white tuxedo, waiting for me. He had a huge smile on his face. How could he look so patient and serene while his woman was panicking inside?

"Mom...why am I scared?" I whispered.

"This is new for you. You're not used to all this attention."

I gulped when I saw that people I didn't really know all that well were focusing their eyes on me. I was okay with my friends, family, and Carlisle, but strangers were a different story.

"Okay, Esme, breathe..." I told myself. My steps were too fast and I looked at my mom for a second. Her arm was around my waist and her other arm was holding me in place, guiding me down the aisle. "Don't cry...please, don't cry..."

"Self-talk helps."

"Please don't let me trip, Mom."

"I would never, honey."

The butterflies vanished as soon as I was halfway across the aisle. It seemed like forever and finally, I was standing right in front of him. Mom placed my hands into Carlisle's and sat down in her own chair. I giggled when he pulled me closer.

I couldn't contain my excitement.

**Thank you to reviewers TheMortician'sDaughter, loveislovexoxoxoxoxo, TeamCullenx, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, K.K. Fush, Just4Me, MrsCarlisleCullen13, that kiwi chick, and Caresme'sChild!**


	37. Here Comes the Bride

**Thanks to K.K. Fush for beta'ing!**

Carlisle POV

As the wedding song played, my beautiful bride strolled down the aisle, holding a bouquet of red roses. I couldn't stop staring at her long white dress, her bright eyes, her wide smile, and her bouncy caramel curls. Every step she took, my heart beat faster. She was so pretty when she walked in slow motion. Actually, she was pretty a hundred percent of the time. Her hands slipped in mine and I held her tight against me while she laughed softly. She was here.

"Welcome to the wedding of Carlisle Cullen and Esme Platt," the minister spoke. "Who gives this woman to this man?"

Anne raised her hand. "I do. I'm her mother."

"Very well. They would like to say their own vows. Carlisle, you may start."

"Alright..." I took a deep breath and kept my eyes on hers. "Esme, you are my love and my life. I couldn't imagine how my world would be without you here. You're the best friend and lover I've ever had, and you're the most amazing woman in the universe. When you walked into that office, my heart stopped. Everything stopped. I couldn't pay attention to anyone or anything but you. Nobody could match up to you. You're my sunshine, forever and always. You're so perfect, and I'm blessed that you're mine. I, Carlisle, take you, Esme, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will cherish you and honor you all the days of my life. I love you."

"Thanks, Carlisle...I love you too," she said quietly as her voice broke. A tear ran down her cheek and I brushed it away with my thumb underneath her veil. "I...I think I should say something too, right?"

I held her hand and kissed it. "Go ahead, baby."

"I...can't believe you're mine either. I can't believe you want me even after all the troubles we've gone through. I guess that's the way true love works. One of the partners screw up, but they stick together even when times get hard. From the first time I laid my eyes on you, I tried to stay away...but I couldn't. I just couldn't. I'm glad I didn't. I'm glad I was brave. I will want you forever. You were the beacon of light in my world of darkness. You still are, but you make my life brighter, bolder, and happier. I'm proud and I feel blessed to call you my man. I, Esme, take you, Carlisle, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

"That's sweet of you, honey," I murmured and kissed her hand again.

"I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the minister allowed us after we exchanged the rings.

Esme swallowed hard and blinked back her tears. I flipped her veil over her hair, lifted up her chin with my index finger and bent down to touch her lips with mine. Our tongues roamed around each other's mouths and I pressed my hips to hers with my hand on her lower back. My other hand was tangled in her hair underneath her veil. Everyone was cheering as our kiss got longer and more heated. I dipped her low to the ground while our lips were still attached and brought her back up again. We ran down the aisle hand in hand as rose petals were being thrown at us. Esme giggled adorably when we sat back down and took a few gasps of air.

Microphone feedback whistled through the backyard and then I heard Renee asking, "Is this thing on?"

Esme laughed. "Yes!"

"Thanks, girl. So, I was told I have to give a speech about some woman named Esme Platt...now known as Esme Cullen...well, all right, I will. She's my best friend, okay? So break her heart, and I'll break your face." Renee was clearly speaking to me, and I laughed.

Esme rolled her eyes and gestured towards Renee. "Go on!"

"You love me. Anyway, I knew Ez since we were kids. Well, she was a baby and I was fourteen. I was her babysitter and she and I...our bond was tight. I used to call her Ezzie pie and she would call me Nay-Nay. She sounded so cute! I remember that she used to make me chase her around her house. When she was trapped, she giggled and held up her arms to me, asking me to pick her up. Oh, god, she was freaking adorable...it's a wonder I didn't pinch her cheeks!" The crowd chuckled at that. My new lovely wife blushed and hid her face against my shoulder.

"Esme has always wanted a Prince Charming since she could talk. She's a hopeless romantic at heart, so Carlisle, expect her to want you to take her for walks in the moonlight, kiss her in the rain, and just basically be a gentleman. You're doing your job, because she always calls me and tells me what you guys do together on your dates. So, that's awesome. She's my best friend forever...now she's all grown up...she's so beautiful... and she's making my eyes get teary. Congratulations to you both." Renee wiped underneath her eyes, held up her wine glass and drank it down.

Charlie went next and cleared his throat into the microphone. "I'm not talkative like my wife is. I just want to say that I'm proud of Carlisle for finding a woman who loves his crazy ass as much as he loves her. To tell you the truth, I don't think anyone else could live with his antics. Okay, I'm kidding, but jeez. She came back to him after he fucked a whore!" I covered my eyes with my hand and growled while the crowd cheered. "He's going to kill me for saying that. Luckily we're best friends, so he can't do anything worse than slapping me upside the head extremely hard. He better do that when I'm drunk and can't feel a thing. I'm going to let the next person go."

Lily grabbed the microphone from Charlie's hands. "Carlisle...Esme came from a horrible past just like you did, and she's just right for you. You guys are a good match and I can't imagine either of you being with someone else. You and Esme share something special called romance and I'm swooning over the cuteness that you two generate. I'm happy for the family you have created and now our two families are next door. You have someone and I have someone. To Esme and Carlisle Cullen!" She raised a beer bottle and clanked it with Will's. She held the microphone down next to Will's mouth.

"Carlisle...I have one thing to say, well, actually two things. Get. Laid!"

Esme went completely red and I cursed the Lord for having embarrassing friends.

"Oh, and one other thing. Thanks for letting me live."

"You're welcome, buddy!"

Carmen took the microphone next. "Carlisle, I barely know you, but I know you're a good man for Esme. I've known her since she started her job at Forks Elementary School, and she's always been a cheerful young lady. She got all the spirit sucked out of her by that evil bastard, but he's gone now, and you made her rise from her figurative grave. Esme, you and Carlisle are made for each other. You make each other better people. I'm old and wise, and I can tell you two will stay with each other for eternity. I don't have a doubt in my mind. You've had many struggles, but still, you stayed together through it all. That is so sweet."

"Okay, my turn!" Anne announced. "Esme, my daughter, my baby girl...you have finally found a protector and a gentleman in Carlisle. I'm so delighted! This is just as good as me coming back to find you alive and well. You've grown from an adorable pudgy-faced little girl to a stunning young woman, but your personality has always stayed the same. I wasn't surprised Carlisle fell in love with you. You're charming, polite, and sweet. I wish you two the best. Now for my grandchildren and their friends."

Emmett picked up Cynthia and gripped the microphone in his hands so she couldn't try to put it in her mouth. "Go ahead, little one."

Esme smiled and sniffled when Cynthia raised her arms in the air and shouted, "Yaaaaay! I love parties! I love Mommy and Daddy! I love my family and everyone!"

"Aw, baby..." Esme whispered.

"Way to go, Dad! And I finally get a mom who I can count on! I love you guys."

Alice leaned into the microphone. "Mom, you really did it. You're the strongest woman I know and I will always look up to you as my female role model. You're the best mom ever. You were brave and continued your relationship with Carlisle...or should I say, Dad? I've been saying it since I was seven. I've been waiting forever for this wedding! It's about freaking time!"

"I know, right?" Emmett added.

I laughed. "Sorry, kids."

"It's okay," Alice laughed. "Rose, you're up. Then Jasper."

"Um...Carlisle and Esme...so I've been wondering when you were gonna finally join in holy matrimony. When my girl Ali told me you two were tying the knot, I was ecstatic! We had so much fun shopping for our dresses and my god, you guys look great too! I just can't believe I'm a bridesmaid at someone's wedding. Thank you so much. I was the flower girl at my parents' wedding..."

"But it's totally cool to be a bridesmaid!" Alice finished for her. "And you're rambling!"

"Oh well, I'm nervous. Here you go, Jazz." She handed the microphone to her brother.

"I'm shy, unlike my sister here. I'll just tell you all this: thank you for letting me participate in your wedding."

Elizabeth took the microphone. "Esme, I remember when you carried me to the car that night of the baseball game. I was half asleep, but I saw the way you looked at Carlisle. It was a look of love, and Carlisle, I could tell you thought she was gorgeous. I've been wanting to get you guys together for the longest time. Honestly!" she giggled. "Okay, Peter..."

"Carlisle's a cool dude. Esme was smart to pick him. Guys don't say much. I guess we're done."

"Oh, no, we're not!" Angela protested. She gestured for Bree and Maggie to come with her. Altogether, they screamed into the mike, "Way to go, Esme!" The crowd burst into applause.

Our other guests didn't know either of us very well, so they didn't say anything. We had a quick lunch of pasta and then it was time for our first dance as husband and wife. Everyone gathered in a circle to watch us dance. I held her around her waist and she looped her arms around my neck. She laid the side of her face against my shoulder.

I thought about the honeymoon and being with her alone. We'd take the ten hour flight to Paris tonight and she'd sleep on my chest. It would be the best flight of my life, with her by my side. I stroked her hair and massaged her back while we danced. The lyrics related to Esme and I so much. I wish I could have sang that exact song to her, but I wasn't as good as Train. She loved me all the same, though. I knew it when she said it back to me earlier in the wedding. I felt like running through the hills and standing on the highest mountain, screaming, _she fucking loves me_!

_...Together can never be close enough for me_  
><em>Feel like I am close enough to you<em>  
><em>You wear white and I'll wear out the words I love you<em>  
><em>And you're beautiful<em>  
><em>Now that the wait is over<em>  
><em>And love and has finally shown her my way<em>  
><em>Marry me<em>  
><em>Today and every day<em>  
><em>Marry me<em>  
><em>If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe<em>  
><em>Say you will<em>  
><em>Mm-hmm<em>  
><em>Say you will<em>  
><em>Mm-hmm<em>

We were like teenagers dancing at the prom. It was our first slow dance in a long time, since Renee's wedding, and it felt great. Our honeymoon sex would connect us even more. I would show her she didn't have to fear anything, and she had already shown me exactly how much I meant to her.

_Promise me_  
><em>You'll always be<em>  
><em>Happy by my side<em>  
><em>I promise to<em>  
><em>Sing to you<em>  
><em>When all the music dies<em>

She was beautiful, inside and out. Every time I looked at her, it was like looking at the sun. I was blinded by her beauty. I was so in love with her that it was crazy.

The song faded away and everyone clapped for us. We kissed a few times and then it was time for the dance party. I enjoyed watching Esme and her friends grind each other. Emmett looked pleased that he was dancing with Rosalie, and Alice was content in Jasper's arms. I guess we were lucky that neither Maria nor Royce showed up. Cynthia and Henry were adorable when they spun around in circles, and Vera twirled them sometimes. The guys and I sat down because our ladies were all together. They were each other's partners.

"Women are lucky that they can dance together without looking gay," Charlie complained.

"There's some guys that get turned on by that stuff...ladies dancing together," Will put in.

"I know. I guess we're two different genders," I agreed. "It's fun to watch, though, huh?"

My friends nodded.

The dances for the bride and her father and the groom and his mother couldn't be done, so we quickly skipped to the dinner. Esme and I had no relatives besides her mom, and dancing with our female friends would have been quite awkward. Esme would have not wanted to dance with our guy friends. Besides, everyone was hungry.

During the dinner, the DJ stopped the music and Charlie made an announcement. "Renee, come on up here with me. I can't do this without you."

"Aw, that's really sweet of you." She got up and joined him while a few of my friends carried a projection screen to the center of the backyard. Esme and I shared a confused look as we ate our tortellini.

"So, I bet you're wondering what this huge-ass screen is for. Well, here's your answer. Renee and I made a special video just for our best couple friends."

Esme smiled and I did the same.

"Can't have a wedding without a video, right?" Renee asked as the screen came alive.

A sentimental song played while our baby and childhood pictures started appearing on the screen, one after the other. The pictures alternated between Esme and I. They must have worked for hours on this project. I was touched, and I saw Esme begin to cry. Our teenage pictures flashed on the screen, then when we were in college, and then finally, there were pictures of the two of us together. The last bunch of pictures had all of our friends and family in them. When it ended, we went up to Renee and Charlie and hugged them.

"Thanks, man!" I slapped him on the back.

"Thank you so much, Renee," Esme wailed into her best friend's shoulder.

"Anytime, Ez."

"No problem, Carlisle," Charlie replied.

An hour later, it was time for us to cut the cake. Cynthia and Henry were trying to get into it, but Anne pulled Cynthia away while Vera dragged Henry all the way back to his chair. They kept chanting for cake until after we fed each other the first few bites and then served everyone.

"Oh, gosh, this is good!" Esme exclaimed.

"I know, baby." I wiped some frosting from her bottom lip. "This was one of the best days I've had with you so far."

"It's so romantic!" she gushed. "Oh, and it's time for me to throw the bouquet! They've been de-thorned, thank god! Hey, ladies, get in a circle or whatever, but get ready to catch these lovely roses!"

It was complete chaos when Esme tossed the bound flowers. Surprisingly, Alice, Rosalie, and Elizabeth got the most air and the bouquet fell in all of their hands. The women groaned when they realized that teenagers got it. Esme laughed out loud, and it was music to my ears. I reached under her dress, pulled off her garter, and flung it into the crowd.

We rushed through our audience and got into our going-away outfits. I was wearing black slacks and a blue striped shirt while Esme wore a pink cotton summer dress with a small white flower pattern and lace over her cleavage. We had our last dance, and before we left, we had to talk to our kids.

"Take good care of Cynthia please!" Esme practically begged them.

"I better not get a call from Lily saying that Rosalie is pregnant! And if you have any high school parties, I'm looking at you, Emmett, your grandma Anne will be in charge," I told them.

"No alchohol, no drugs, no smoking...or you'll be grounded for life. Okay, bye, you kids!"

"You heard your mother. Have fun but stay out of trouble! Cullen group hug!"

Esme and I made a circle with our arms, and Emmett, Alice, and Cynthia filled it. Our hug was a few seconds long, and Cynthia started crying. She knew we were leaving. Anne soothed her when we had to leave so we wouldn't miss our flight.

We hurriedly got our suitcases from Renee's room, and said goodbye to our guests while the limo took us to the airport.

"My suitcase is so heavy! What is _in_ this thing?"

I looked at it's plumpness. "I have no idea. You packed it!"

"I packed a few things. We're only going to be away for a week! I didn't need much!"

"Oh, well, you'll find out when we get there. Unless you want to open it now?"

Esme blushed. "I don't think that'd be a good idea. Stuff would spill everywhere and I don't want the limo to be a mess."

"Are you ready for the ten hour flight?"

"I sure am! We had such a fun wedding."

"We did. A whole week with you, all to myself." I put my arm around her shoulders and she put her head on my shoulder and sighed.

"Mm-hm...but it's been a long day. I'm so tired."

"It's eight, and our flight is at nine. Ten hours later, we'll be in Paris at seven in the morning our time, but four in the late afternoon their time. We can sleep on the airplane."

"Sounds good," she said through a yawn. I couldn't help but grin at her cute facial expression.

"I booked us a hotel that looks over a wonderful view. You will love it," I whispered and smoothed her hair back from her face.

She sighed loudly as the limo drove through town and entered Seattle where the airport was. "Oh, that was a nice nap...now I think we're stopping. I feel us stopping."

"Yeah, we've gotta get our suitcases. Come on, baby." She grabbed her suitcase and I got mine. We left the limo and thanked the driver. He drove away as we walked to into the doors of the airport, fingers interlocked.

"After you, wife." I let her walk ahead of me.

"Why, thank you, husband. God, that felt great to say!"

"I love calling you my wife, Mrs. Cullen."

"Esme Anne Cullen. That has a nice ring to it!" Esme exclaimed.

"I know, sweetie."

We had ordered our tickets a few weeks ago, so we checked our bags and went through the annoying process of security. I handed Esme back her sandals and her purse.

"Thanks."

I put my laptop back together and put it back in my briefcase. I tied up my shoes as she slipped hers on.

We made our way to the gate area and sighed in relief that we had our passports so we could get back into the United States. We were an hour early when we sat in the uncomfortable chairs, so we talked a little bit about our trip in quiet voices.

"I brought my camera for sightseeing," she informed me.

"That's great! I have mine too, and also, did you bring your swimsuit?"

"Of course I did! Sunglasses as well. What do you want to do first?"

"Maybe go out to a nice restaurant for dinner and then relax in the hotel, watching television?"

"Mm! There's an idea!" she said cheerfully. "I heard they have choco-banane-crepes for us to eat for a snack. It's so good, according to the research I did. We can make a trip to the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumphe."

"We have plenty of time to do all that!"

"I'd also like to relax in the pool. Pools are refreshing."

"They are, especially with you in my arms."

"I want to go in a spa, too, and get all warmed up."

"Me too. You know, the hotel I rented has one bed and one couch. Let's sleep together," I whispered into her ear. She blushed bright red.

"Of course we can. We can have a midnight swim again!"

"Oh, nice! Those are fun!"

Thirty minutes later, it was time for passengers to board the plane. When we heard "Cullen, party of two," we shot up out of our seats and made a beeline for the entrance of the plane. The gate agent scanned our tickets and handed us back stubs. We were sitting together in first class.

"I got those just for us, honey."

"But it's so expensive!" she cried as I led her onto the plane.

"For our honeymoon, I'd do anything."

"Oh, Carlisle," Esme sighed. We sat down in our seats, buckled in, and enjoyed the extra leg room.

"Flight attendants, prepare for takeoff," the pilot said through the intercom, and we shut off our electronic devices, but not before taking a picture together on the plane. I took out my book and she took out a journal.

"Mind if I use your lap as a table?"

"No problem, babe."

"You can look at what I'm writing."

"I want to respect your privacy."

"Okay, thanks, then." She bent down and started writing. "I'm telling my diary about our life. I started just now. I want to keep all our memories together as a married couple." Her pen lifted from the paper and I saw her loopy writing. It was beautiful, and I told her so.

"Really?"

"I love your scrawl, sweetie," I assured her and patted her hair.

"Thank you!" She wrote some more until a few pages were filled and we were being lifted in the air. "Oh, god..."

"Are you afraid of flying?" I asked her as she squeezed my hand tight.

"No, I'm just excited! I've never been on a plane before...except for when I was too little to remember. I will definitely remember this."

"The first time I was on a plane was when I went to London...when I was a coward," I admitted. "I wished you were with me, and now, it's finally happening. We're flying together."

"Taking a vacation as a married couple."

"Yes..."

Esme leaned her head on my shoulder when she was finished writing. "Mmm, this feels nice," she murmured while I ran my fingers through her sleek curls.

"You really pampered for the wedding, huh?"

"Yeah, I did...I wanted to look extra special for you."

"You always look special to me, my Ezzie." She placed her hands on my chest and I stroked her side with my free hand.

"The bride is supposed to outshine everyone."

"You did your job, and you are forever outshining everyone. There has to be a reason that I chose you as my wife."

"You looked so handsome today, as you do every day. I felt anxious at first, but when I locked eyes with you this afternoon, I wanted to run into your arms. I had self-control, thankfully."

"I would have been extremely surprised. Thank you, princess."

"Ah, you're welcome."

The plane was now all the way up in the air and above the cloud banks, so we were able to take out our electronic devices and turn them on again. A flight attendant came by and asked us what we wanted to drink.

"Water, please," Esme requested.

"Same for me, thanks." The flight attendant smiled at us and poured our drinks.

We sipped them and then later, the food came around. There was a choice of pasta or chicken, so we got a pasta dish with salad to share. To Esme's delight, we were having tortellini. I let her eat most of it until she was full, and then I finished it for us.

"That was good! Oh, we had two dinners tonight. Whatever," she laughed.

"I'm stuffed!"

"So am I!" She patted her belly and moaned as she put her head back on my shoulder.

"Want to watch a movie on my laptop?"

"Sure! I brought my iTouch with headphones and a few Netflix movies for us to watch. I'll dig them out of my purse. Hold on."

I lifted the armrest up and out of our way. "Can't wait. I'll plug in the headphones right now."

"Here," Esme said and gave me her headphones. "We can share." She found _Newlyweds _and we began to watch it as we cuddled. Two hours later, we agreed it was a pretty good movie, and the title was fitting too.

"So, what did you do at your bachelor party?" she asked me while she snuggled against me. I leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"We drank ourselves silly. I crowd surfed to wild music."

"Oh, wow, we girls did almost the same thing! We got shit drunk, sang too loudly to pop songs, and played truth or dare. It was so much fun, but I missed you."

"I missed you too, baby."

"Now, I get you for a whole week."

"I'm more than happy about that."

"I'm so pumped!" she squealed. "Oh, let's save our excitement for tomorrow!"

"Agreed!" I kissed her passionately until someone coughed.

"Oh, we're being bad, I guess," she giggled. "This can wait."

"You're right. I don't want angry passengers around us. That wouldn't be fun."

"No, it would ruin our flight, and theirs too!"

"I know." I looked into her eyes. "I love you. The stars shine because of you."

"Stop it."

"No, they do!"

She chuckled when I tickled her belly. "That's just how much I love you. I compare you to stars."

"Come here, you!" Esme pulled me down by my shirt and kissed me full on the mouth. She gasped when my tongue tangled with hers and then I pulled away before anyone could say anything. "Oh, god, you're a damn good kisser."

"So are you, my one and only."

"Thank you."

At almost midnight, we were all tuckered out and couldn't open our eyes a second longer. Her head was in my lap and I slept on the headrest. I massaged her back and shoulders until I fell asleep.

It was an excellent and relaxing flight. We felt the plane land and opened our eyes to harsh sunlight. My neck was stiff and Esme shook out her arms. "Oh, we're here!" she pointed out happily.

"Yes, my dear, we are. Come on, we should go get our bags before they get stolen. That does happen."

"Right." I pulled her through the crowds of people after we unbuckled our seat belts. We got our bags, and they were safe and sound, just as I thought. I called for a taxi to take us to our hotel.

"We're here," Esme breathed out for the second time that day.

"You and me, darling."

"Yes...the newlyweds. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen."

**Thanks for reading and reviewing: K.K. Fush, loveislovexoxoxoxoxo, TeamCullenx, that kiwi chick, ****Caresme'sChild, Just4Me, and MrsCarlisleCullen13!**


	38. Delicious

**Thanks to K.K. Fush for beta'ing!**

Esme POV

"Are you excited?" was Carlisle's first question.

The feeling surged through my body as soon as he asked that, so I happily nodded. "I really am."

"Are you hungry?" he asked me when he checked us into the hotel.

I shook my head. "I'm still on Forks time, and I just had two dinners within a few hours, plus a really long nap. I won't need any food in this belly for a while."

"That's all right, I'm off schedule too. Okay, we got room 1116 and the key. Let's go."

I followed him to an elevator and it was empty, so we made out until we got to our room. He actually carried me over the threshold when we entered our room, and I giggled-quite loudly, I might add. "Carlisle!" I squealed.

"What? I can't be a gentleman?"

"It's not that. I just love being in your company."

"I love being around you, too." He tilted my chin up with his index finger and kissed my lips gently. His fingers twisted themselves in my curls and I felt my back hit the wall. A small moan came out of my mouth while he massaged my hips and ground himself into me. I leaned my head back while closing my eyes and felt his hand protect my head from banging against the wall. I was losing myself in the moment, but I knew we had to unpack and set our room up.

"Carlisle," I tried to say between his multiple kisses. "Carlisle, we need to..."

"What was that, Esme?" he asked. He pulled away and stared deep into my eyes.

"I...um..." I lost my train of thought.

"Hm?"

"We need...we have...the, um, suitcases...you know, our...our luggage...and...unpack."

Carlisle had a smug look on his face and he bowed. "I have succeeded in making you speechless."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, don't do that." This time, _I _pushed _him _into the wall and hooked my thumbs around his belt loops. "Ever again."

He smiled devishly. "Whatever are you talking about, my dear?"

"Make me forget what I was gonna say!" I exploded.

"You know, you're cute when you're nervous. Have I mentioned that before?"

"I wasn't nervous!"

"But you are...about tonight."

"I'll admit, that kiss made me think about what we're gonna do after our midnight swim."

"Esme, if you're not ready, I understand completely."

"Carlisle Cullen." I pulled him to me so our bodies were touching. "I have been waiting for this moment ever since we restarted our relationship the second time and I saw your ass. If you think I'm gonna back out now, you're out of your friggin mind!"

"You're amazing."

"Yes, you're gonna get laid tonight." I quickly walked away from him and unpacked my suitcase. I looked over my shoulder and noticed a slight bulge in his pants.

"I...gotta take a shower. Let's go out to dinner. Are you up to pizza?" His voice faded away and I heard his clothes dropping on the floor. My cheeks heated up as I sifted through the clothes in my luggage.

"Oh, yes, I...am..."

The shower turned on and I licked my lips, imagining my man with steam enveloping his body. I picked up a few pieces of red and black skimpy material.

"Renee, I'm gonna kill you," I muttered through my breath.

The next thing I found was even worse. A belt? What would I do with a belt? I wasn't wearing jeans in this heat, and there was a note attached. I was scared to open it, so I set it aside and unfolded the belt.

I was right to be afraid of the note since it read in small black print, _swing this in front of him while dancing to hot music, like you're a stripper pole-dancing at a club. Two words: Ezzie's whorehouse._

A stripper?

Pole dancing?

I clamped my hand over my forehead and blew out a huge, shaky breath. Maybe I could do this another night. It was just another one of Renee's crazy ideas. I came across another note.

_You'll thank me later. Have fun! Kisses and hugs, Renee_.

The shower stopped and within a second, I gathered up everything to do with sex so I could hide it deep inside my suitcase. I didn't want him to see any of this. Carlisle walked into the room with a towel around his waist.

"Oh...I better take a shower, too. My hair's messed up from the plane, and I feel dirty. Bye," I murmured and avoided eye contact with him.

"Esme, you didn't...unpack."

"I know, I'll get to it later." I closed the door and locked it.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I assured him while taking off my dress and bra at the same time.

"I'll help you get your stuff put away into the drawers, and there's a closet filled with hangers for us to use as well."

My heart skipped a few beats. I didn't want him to see my slut clothes! "No, that's okay!" I shouted. "Don't touch my things...please."

"I get it, you want to surprise me."

"You're right. Oh, crap! I forgot about a dress in my suitcase. Hold on. I'm coming back out." I slipped the dress back over my head and ran to get it while grabbing my electric razor, a white lace bra and pink panties, which I hid in the dress I was clutching in my hands.

"A yellow dress? I like it."

"Thanks. See you." I was safely inside the bathroom again, so I hung up the dress I was going to wear to dinner, along with my undergarments. The pink dress was on the floor and I checked myself out in the mirror while pursing my lips.

God, I looked like shit. I was looking back at a worn-out woman with bags under her eyes, tangled hair, and her face was covered in red splotches. Her breasts were uneven, her stomach was protruding, and her ass was not a good size.

I got into the shower and turned on the water. It was freezing, so I stood out of the way for a little bit until it warmed up. The hot water felt good running down my body and mixing into my hair...it reminded me of Carlisle's warm hands massaging me...all over...

_Okay, Esme, just wash yourself!_

I scrubbed my face with my soapy hands and then used a loofah to wash the rest of my body. My fingers touched my vagina slightly and I gasped.

_He is going to do that to you. Are you ready?_

"Yes," I said aloud. "God, yes."

I shampooed and conditioned my hair until it was silky and smooth. When I finished, I shut off the water and dried myself off with a towel. I shaved my legs and slathered my whole body and face with lotion. I shook out my hair and blow-dried it.

I inspected the more innocent pieces that I, myself, had packed. The white bra was a functional bra, but still very pretty. The pink panties were cute until I saw the words _hot ass _written on the back.

"Renee," I growled. "You are so paying for this."

I put them on and studied myself. I looked like one of the Victoria's Secret models, so maybe my best friend wasn't so bad after all.

_Esme, don't be a prude! You want this!_

I sighed, put my dress on, and walked out of the bathroom. Carlisle was sitting on the dark blue leather couch, reading a brochure. When he heard me, he raised his head and smiled at me.

"You look sunny."

I chuckled a little. "Thanks. You look...professional in that suit."

"So, I was looking into where we should eat, and the Pink Flamingo sounds good."

"That's fine with me. As long as we don't have to eat any snails, seafood, or Asian food." I wrinkled my nose and sat in his lap.

"_Non, ma chérie_," he spoke in flawless French and kissed my hand.

"You're so handsome when you speak French," I giggled. "You've been reading from the translator, haven't you?"

"Yes. _Je t'aime_."

The way he said he loved me in French made me swoon and press my hand to my heart. I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him hard while leaning him back into the couch. He was surprised, but he kept kissing me back anyway.

"Hold on one second...I've got to unpack and put on my makeup!"

"Esme, you've seemed very distracted from the time I took a shower. What gives?"

Our lips paused against each other. "Oh. Um, I dunno," I mumbled. "Sorry...I guess I'm overthinking this whole sex thing."

He placed both his hands on my shoulders. "Sweetie. I love you. I don't want to force you into _anything_."

"No, I want to, it's just..." I covered my eyes and moaned. "I haven't had good sex, ever. What if it's me? I don't do anything, I just lay there."

"Esme, that's because you were raped! I laid there too when my mom threw herself on top of me! Are you saying you think you're bad in bed?"

Slowly, I nodded my head in affirmation.

"You could never be bad in bed."

"What if you don't like what you see?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I can't wait to see you."

"All men love seeing a woman naked, but you've never seen me _fully_ naked," I explained with a blush. "I look like a joke. Remember when I stabbed myself in my chest?"

"So there's gonna be a scar there." He shrugged. "I _want _to see you."

I squeezed his hands and got up to unpack. It took ten minutes and then I went into the bathroom to apply my makeup. I put double the eyeliner on my eyes and used a ton of mascara. My lips were coated in red five times over. I wanted to make sure I looked my best for later.

"Wow," Carlisle said with a smirk. "You didn't need to do that, you're pretty enough without makeup.

"I know, but I just wanted to wow you."

"Well, you're beautiful. Let's go, my dear."

I linked arms with him and picked up a coat from the rack to take with me for when it got cold.

We went to dinner at five. Even though the restaurant served pizza, the waiters still spoke French. Carlisle used the translator he had in his hand to communicate with them and we ended up splitting a large pepperoni and sausage pizza with extra cheese on my half.

"Yum!" we both said. It was a little cold on our stroll back to our room and he let me in. We sat on the couch and watched a movie until about ten.

"Esme, let's do the midnight swim tomorrow. We can swim all day as well."

"That's fine. So, should we...should I put on music?"

"Let's have sex?"

I laughed. "Yeah, there's no formal way to ask for sex...normally, the couple starts kissing and then...it just happens."

"Of course you can turn on music." He walked to our bed and leaned back on the pillows while I dimmed the lights.

I lifted the straps of my dress over my shoulders and it fell down my body and into a yellow pile on the floor. Carlisle motioned for me.

"Babe, you can turn on the lights."

"Fine," I sighed and flipped on the light switch. "Happy?"

"Very. Come here, sexy."

I blushed and turned around slowly so he could inspect each part of me. "You like?"

"Hot ass?"

"Courtesy of Renee."

"I love it, sweetheart." He shrugged off his jacket. "Can...can you unbutton my shirt?"

"I made you nervous," I teased him. I walked closer to him and sat on the side of the bed. He was warm as he pulled me into his arms. Once I took off his shirt and flung it on the floor, our hands roamed all over each other's backs, shoulders, and arms while we made out. His eyes widened when I lifted my bra straps over my shoulders and the lace was just covering my nipples. He placed hot kisses along the skin of my cleavage.

"Lace," he groaned.

"I like my lace," I whispered softly, suddenly feeling shy. "And now, my lipstick is smudged all over your mouth."

"Hot."

I straddled him, wetness pooled in my panties, and I dry-humped him. His eyes moved along with my almost naked figure. My heart was beating so fast and I was gasping as I went faster on top of him. I could feel him-he was so hard_...was he...big?_

"Oh yeah, baby...fuck...I'm gonna...I'm gonna..."

I bent down over the top of him and chewed on his neck. "Mmm, you taste _so_ good."

"You _are _so good. You're better than good to me. You're divine." He unclasped my bra and let it fall over my shoulders and down my arms so my breasts were pressed on his chest. I felt him get larger. Was that even possible?

Carlisle caressed my breasts with his hands and licked them all over. "You're killing me softly," I gasped breathlessly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He kissed the underside of my breast where my most massive scar lay. "They're the perfect size, baby," he groaned as his thumb brushed over my nipple. "Pink...soft... perky..."

I put my legs in between his and moaned while he touched me. "Oh, I love this..." I grabbed his firm ass and massaged it.

"Un...unzip me...please, Esme..."

I bit my lip anxiously and fiddled with the button on the front of his pants. I got it undone after a few seconds. He wiggled out of his pants and then I just about tore off his boxers.

"Damn," I murmured.

"Like what you see?"

His penis sprang to life and it was suddenly right before my very eyes, dripping with cum, just calling me to it. "God, yes. Blow job or hand job?"

"Neither. I need to be inside you, Ezzie. Let me take off your panties."

I lifted myself up a little so he could slide his hands down my ass and let my panties fly across the room. I lowered myself down on his dick and whimpered in pain. It always hurt at first.

"Oh, fuck, Ezzie, you're already so wet..."

"You're so...hard...and...big..."

"Does it turn you on?"

"Yes," I hissed as the pain turned to pleasure. We moved against each other and I screamed through my orgasm.

"God, you're beautiful when you come." We switched positions and he inserted a finger inside my hole. "I want to see you do that again."

"Mmm." I tried to muffle my moans with my hand, but the moans came anyway. He spread my legs further apart and put another finger inside me. After finger fucking me, he lapped up my wetness with his tongue and I mewled while my eyes rolled back inside my head.

"You enjoy that, my love?"

I fell on a pillow and purred when he went faster. "Please...pick up the rhythm," I gasped. "I...I'm almost there...oh god..."

"Your pussy juice is so sweet, like you..."

I shrieked a bunch of times, but I couldn't even say his name. My muscles tensed and then I panted as I came down from my orgasm.

"Just relax, Ezzie..."

"Ohhhhh..." I smirked. "My turn." I held his firm shaft in my hands and ran my fingers up and down it to tease him. I massaged it a few times and then pinched the tip slightly. He responded with a low growl. I opened my mouth and sucked him off.

"You look so hot swallowing my cum."

"I'm so...horny right now..." I licked his hard-on and then stuck my tongue in his mouth.

"So...am...I..."

"Wanna play with my pussy again?" I asked flirtatiously.

He picked me up with both hands. "You have such a smooth, tight ass." I scooted over his chest and allowed him to slide his tongue around my moist vaginal walls. He drank some more of my cum and sucked on my clit.

"Oh, Carlisle..."

While finger fucking me again, he chewed on my nipples and I gasped when he bit down hard. He had actually given me tons of hickeys. I wasn't sure when I had enough of him. I wouldn't stop licking his chest and his ass, and I even spanked his ass a few times.

"You're a bad boy!" I screamed. When we both came down from our highs, we curled up under the covers together, completely naked. We were finally connected on a physical level, and it felt great.

"Esme, you were...incredible..."

"So were you. This time, I hope I get pregnant. I want a baby of our own." I settled the side of my face on his chest.

"I'd really like that, honey."

The next day, we had egg omelets filled with ham and cheese for breakfast and then went swimming. He admired me in my peach bikini, and I loved seeing the man in swim trunks. We were doing strokes alongside each other in the cool water when we heard screaming.

"Help! Help! Please, help! I need a doctor!" a male voice shouted. "Amber, don't struggle! Take my hand! Come on, baby! Come on!"

"Uh oh, looks like someone's in trouble," Carlisle muttered. "I'll go assist the guy."

I followed him, very concerned for the drowning victim. She was flailing her arms in the water and trying to surface, but every breath she took ended up in a cough underwater. Carlisle got to her and pulled her out of the water. She was eerily still, so he pumped her chest a few times while the college boy watched in horror.

"Amber! Cough!" Carlisle commanded. He gave her CPR, and I was so touched by his determination.

Water dribbled out of the girl's mouth and I sighed in relief. "My husband's a doctor."

Amber sat up. "Oh my god...thank you...help me up, Nick?"

The guy grabbed her by her arms and she jumped up. They shared a sweet kiss and she started crying into his arms. "Thanks man, you just saved my girlfriend's life."

Carlisle shook Nick's hand. "Anytime."

The couple left and I turned to Carlisle. "I guess they won't be swimming anytime soon."

"Yeah, I guess not. Let's swim some more, shall we?"

We ordered room service, like we would probably every night. It was a hot plate of tacos with rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole for me, and a chicken burrito for him. We ate it while watching a movie.

Our midnight swim was freezing, but we took a long hot shower together. His body was against mine as he washed me all over. His hands felt so nice running through my hair, over my limbs and torso, and finally, saving the best for last, trailing down my most sacred areas. I leaned my head back against his chest and we kissed passionately until the water ran cold. He turned it off and we stepped out, dripping wet, still holding hands.

"I've gotta get ready for bed...let's get in our pajamas together."

"Hold on. I've got a pleasant surprise for you...if you'll just wait."

"I've ravished every part of your body. What else is there?"

"Oh, you'll see."

I dug through my suitcase and pulled out the belt, the red bra, and the black thong. The bra let me have more cleavage than I was used to, and the thong stuck in my ass crack, but it wouldn't last for very long. I laughed while I put it on, and practiced swinging the belt like a lasso. I retrieved my iPod from my bag and turned on sexy music that Renee spammed my iPod with. It was actually pretty good, but I couldn't imagine myself doing a striptease for my new husband.

_I'm in trouble_

_Big trouble again_

_I'm always in trouble_

_Trouble's my middle name_

_I'm like a wild wild child_

_That you just couldn't tame…_

"Okay," I told myself. "Let's do this." I entered the room as the lyrics played while treating my belt as a lasso.

_I'm in trouble_

_I think I'm in trouble again_

_I've been a bad bad girl_

_And it's always the same_

"Welcome to Ezzie's whorehouse where the sex is free and you're only doing me. You be my horse and I'll ride your cock hard and fast. Get ready to be my sole customer for life, Dr. Cullen," I said in the sexiest voice I could manage.

"Oh, yes, come to me, my darling..."

I stopped short when I saw his clothes strewn all over the floor. He was laying on his back, fully naked, and stroking his rather large cock. My face was burning hot and I couldn't stop looking at him. My legs were shaking as I did so. He wouldn't quit jacking off. I gasped at the tingling sensation in my vagina and turned around to reach into my panties to touch it. God, he was hot!

"I'm sorry," he smirked. "I just had a fantasy about you being my naughty nurse. I have desires. You were wearing a cute summer dress, and now you're in that outfit. What else is a man to do?"

"I don't know..." I circled my body around and around as I danced to the music. "Don't rape me." I sat down while I panted hard.

"I would never." He laid his hand atop my thigh and squeezed it gently. I kept my hand on his so it wouldn't go anywhere. He never moved it, not even when my hand wasn't there. "Do you want to do this again?"

"You don't even have to ask."

I spread my legs out and allowed him full entry. "I'll be careful."

"You like all these 'bad girl' songs, huh?"

"Oh, I do, sweetheart. I love you more."

I rolled my eyes. "Let's just fuck."

He licked my breasts and the valley between them, all the way up my neck and into my mouth. Orgasm after orgasm, we were panting and screaming intelligible words at each other.

"Oh, god, Carlisle, please...more," I gasped, and I got my wish.

A fast song started and before I knew it, we were grinding each other. His hands were around my waist as he moved his crotch up and down my ass and my fingers played with the hair on the nape of his neck.

"Sex standing up."

I laughed. "You got that right."

He picked me up and carried me to the bed. "This is heaven to me, do you know that?"

"Mmm-hmm," I mumbled into his shoulder. "I was planning out our first evening...but now...I know what we should do. Plan to make me pregnant."

"That means making love every night?"

"Hell yeah, buddy." He set me down on the bed and started kissing me. We continued on through the night and didn't get to sleep until four in the morning.

I woke up snuggled in his arms. "Good morning."

"Morning. You look so sexy, and oh so sweet."

"You're sexier than me."

"You are _fucking hot_," he insisted while smoothing his hand down my hip and over my ass. "Morning sex for the win."

"Mmm...I'm up for that."

We had a late lunch and dinner, as expected, since we got up around one in the afternoon.

Thursday was slightly more productive. We actually walked around the city and took some pictures. Friday was Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumphe day. Both places were magnificent. We also had fun eating choco-banane crepes.

"Sightseeing was spectacular...now how should we spend our last two days here?"

"Aw, I'll be sad to leave." I pouted.

"At least we finally lost our virginity to each other."

"Yeah, that's true," I laughed. "Let's get shit drunk tonight, fuck tomorrow, and leave first thing Sunday morning. That's when our flight is."

We were in bed all of Saturday until the club opened up at eleven. We danced to many songs and the whole night, we were drunk out of our minds. Drunk on love, drunk on sex, and drunk on margaritas. I passed out on Carlisle's shoulder when we took a taxi back to the hotel.

"What do we do now?" I slurred.

"I dunno, babe..." he replied. "I love you..."

Through my haze, his hands slipped under my shirt and squeezed my tender breasts. I moaned and leaned on his lap. He took off my shirt and laid me flat across him. All of a sudden, his fingers were stroking the hairs of my pussy. It was such a good feeling...

"Aaaah...ohhh...Carlisle..." I breathed.

"There you go, Ezzie. Just let yourself go..."

I arched my back and let out an extremely loud moan. What the fuck was his name again? Crap, I couldn't even remember _my own_ name. It started with an E...I thought he may have just said it.

"Oh, baby, you're the hottest woman in the world..."

I rode out my orgasm but then I was suddenly jerked forwards. I opened my eyes to see the handsome blonde man above me, holding me in place. Such a gentleman...wait, we were in a car? He looked just as shocked as I felt.

"Did we just..." he began to ask.

"Do it in the back of a cab?" I finished for him with a short and hysterical giggle.

"Thanks for the show, guys. No charge."

I struggled to walk and adjust my clothes at the same time. Carlisle was holding me up and fixing my hair, not even bothering to comb his own fingers through his messy hair. I pulled down his shirt and ruffled his hair a bit.

"Cab dude was a pervert," Carlisle pointed out. "We must have been really out of it..."

"Sex plus alcohol does that to you. Were my parts...covered?"

"Yes, I just touched you under your clothes. I love you too much to have you bare your privates to others."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Saturday was a lazy but erotic day, and Sunday we went back home and slept in each other's arms on the plane ride. I texted my mom to tell her that we landed. I saw her car as soon as we checked our bags. After the doors opened, three children hit the ground running-literally- and hurled themselves into our arms.

"Mama!" Cynthia screamed. "Daddy!"

"Mom, you're home...hey, Dad..." Alice grinned up at me while hugging me around my waist.

"Dad!" Emmett and Carlisle bumped fists.

"Hey, buddy!" I tousled Emmett's hair even though he was taller than me, and he groaned. "Give mama bear a hug!"

He squeezed me and kissed my cheek. "Welcome home, Mom."

I kissed the top of his head and then bent down to kiss Alice's cheek. Both of them were still hugging me, and Cynthia tightened her grip to my ankle. I picked her up and covered her in kisses.

"They had a nice time, but they missed you. Did you guys have fun?" Mom asked me.

I looked at Carlisle and we shared a longing gaze. "Yes, I had a lot of fun...with Carlisle. We went swimming and sightseeing...watched movies...had room service...it was absolutely wonderful."

"Oh, that's good. Come on, then. I hope you're not too jetlagged..." She winked at me, and I knew what that meant. It was time for Emmett's surprise birthday party. Mom drove us to our house and it was already packed with people. I saw Rosalie's mom pulling into the driveway with Emmett's brand new car.

"Wow, I want that car! Wait, why is Lily driving to our house? She lives next door..."

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," Alice assured him.

Carlisle honked the horn and everyone in front of the house looked up. Once we got out of the car, everyone waved at us giddily. I made a beeline for Renee and almost knocked her over.

"How did it go? Did you two-oh, you've got that glow in your eyes!"

"Renee, I hate you, but I love you. A lot."

"What did I do?"

"You helped me come out of my shell. Thank you."

"Holy sh-"

"There's kids here!" I interrupted her. "Yes, we, um..."

"Wow. I knew you guys could do it!" She gave me a bone-breaking hug and lifted me up a few feet off the ground. "Congratulations on losing your V-card to the doctor, who is now your oh, so handsome husband."

"He made me feel so pretty...and so good!"

"Save it!" she silenced me. "Go party."

**Thanks for reading and reviewing: EsmeJoyCullen-Drescher, CarlisleandEsme, K.K. Fush , MrsCarlisleCullen13, TeamCullenx, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, that kiwi chick, and Just4Me!**


	39. Coming Clean

**A big fat thank you to K. K. Fush for beta'ing!**

Carlisle POV:

Whoever said marriage is no picnic must not have met Esme and I. Every night, we danced to slow songs, watched movies, and fell asleep together after having a long hour or two of sex. Besides caring for our children, that was really all we did for the past few weeks. I couldn't stay away from my woman even if I tried. Work was hard without her, but I got through the day when she came to visit me on my lunch break and sent me pictures of herself in sexy poses. I usually came home at seven or eight in the evening, but there was an emergency, so I had to work until one in the morning. I called her to tell her so.

"Hey Ez..."

"Carlisle! What's new?"

"I'm so sorry! I got held up at the hospital. You know, car accident."

"It's okay! I totally understand!" She yawned. "How are the patients? Any tragedies?"

"Thankfully, not today. Just a few broken bones and bruises. I fixed them up just in time."

"Yeah, because you're the best doctor in the world...and the coolest thing is, you're _mine _forever and always."

"That's true, baby. How was your day with the kids?"

Esme sighed. "Oh, it was fun! Alice, Cynthia, and I went to a store...and Emmett drove us there. He's wanted to drive as much as possible ever since we got him the car. I sat in the passenger seat, of course, and he had a blast. We girls shopped all day while Emmett bought things for his car. Tonight, Cynthia read me a bedtime story-"

"Wait, wait!" I was shocked. "_Cynthia _read _you _a bedtime story?"

"Yes," she chuckled. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. She's really good at reading...and spelling...I think we should put her into kindergarten early, like this fall. She'll be five in the middle of the school year, anyway."

"She will blow them all away."

"She will. So, are you home yet? I miss you..."

"Not yet, but I will be soon, sweetheart."

"Okay...I'm so glad it's the weekend. Then you can sleep in and cuddle with me all night long."

"I know. It feels great to be home," I murmured as I pulled into the driveway and parked the car.

"You're here already?"

"Yes, I'm here." I got out my keys and ran up to the front door. Quietly, I unlocked the door and went inside. I tiptoed up the stairs and opened our bedroom door. "Hello there, princess."

She was laying in our bed with her phone to her ear and it took a few seconds for her to look up at me with a smile on her face. "You're here!"

"I'm here." I hung up the phone, as did she. She spread out her arms and hugged me tightly around my midsection. I stroked her hair lovingly and bent down to kiss her lips. We were still attached to each other as I rolled over her and laid down on my own side of the bed. "Shit, I'm so tired..."

Esme started giving me a massage. "We can just go to sleep. Sex can wait."

"Aaahhh, thank you so much...for relaxing my tense muscles..." Her warm hands under my shirt felt so nice as they wrapped themselves around my waist. "I can't even get out of my scrubs..."

"I can help you."

"Oh my god, I love you."

We kissed passionately until we both conked out.

The next morning, we had the day to ourselves, as Emmett, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Cynthia all went to the county fair together. Esme was making pancakes and just after she finished eating, she started to stumble in her step.

"Whoa, are you alright?" I caught her and held her close to me.

She could barely glance at me and her face was very pale. "I...I have to do the dishes. I...I'm fine."

"I'll clean up the dishes. You just relax, okay?"

"Ah, thank you. A man who takes care of the kitchen...now that's one of the reasons I married you." I carried her to the couch and laid her down.

"I gathered that. I really don't mind doing it. It's part of teamwork."

"I'm happy."

I turned back to look at her while washing our dishes. "I am too."

Esme returned to the kitchen when I was finished. "Hey, listen...I haven't had my period lately. I think I'm pregnant! I had symptoms of the flu yesterday, and I was eating way too much. It's been almost a month since my last period. I just threw up in the toilet."

I dried off my hands. "You should have called for me. I would have held your hair back."

"I can't while shit's coming out of my mouth! I'm sorry."

"No, _I'm _sorry that you're not feeling well. Do you want me to get you a pregnancy test?"

"I'll go get one myself...it'll be less embarrassing. You can drive me, if you want."

"I'd love to drive you." I took her hand in mine and leaned down to kiss her. "Come on, Ezzie pie." She looked at the floor and blushed.

"You _have_ to call me that? Still?"

"I can't resist. It's too adorable to let go."

Esme sighed. "Use it rarely."

"Agreed."

I gave her a ride to the pharmacy after she put a dress on and she picked up a pregnancy test. "I'll do this at home. This time, I want it to be positive!"

"I know you do, sweetheart."

"I know that this is _our _baby, that we created out of love."

"You're right."

I held her hand as I took her back to our house, and let her have privacy in the bathroom. After a while, she came out with the test behind her back.

"What's up?"

"I'm having a baby! Oh my god, I'm gonna be a mom again!" she squealed excitedly. "I can't wait to tell our kids! They're gonna have a new brother or sister!"

"Congratulations!" I hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "We did it!"

"I'm so proud of us..."

"Me too. Let's discuss baby names."

"The kids should be in on this too, but what do you think of old-fashioned names? It'll fit in with our family. I mean, look at our names!"

"I've had patients named Emily..."

"Oh, everyone's named Emily these days! What was that doll named in those American Girl books? Samantha was the girl...oh! The doll's name was Lydia. What do you think? If we have a girl, can her name be Lydia?"

"That sounds like a fine name for a girl! If it's a boy, though, I'd like it to be named Oliver."

Esme gave me a funny look. "As in Oliver Twist?"

"It was my favorite movie in my childhood years."

"That's brilliant. What about middle names?"

"For the girl, Grace. If we have a boy...Benjamin."

"Lydia Grace. Oliver Benjamin. Both sound cute."

We had a tasty lunch of pizza and fettachini and then I took Esme to her gynecologist. She was almost a month pregnant and we got the same lecture that was given to us the last time she was pregnant. The kids came home when we were finishing up dinner and just sitting down to watch television.

Esme was bouncing enthusiastically. "Hey, guys!" She shot up out of my lap and hugged all three of them. "How are you? Oh, I've missed my babies so much!"

"Hi...Mom..." Emmett gave her a weird look and patted her on the back.

"Mom, how many cups of sugar did you have? You're acting like a teenage girl whose crush just kissed her!" Alice giggled.

Cynthia pointed at Esme. "You're silly, Mommy!"

"Guys, sorry for the mommy attack. She's just got something very exciting to tell you. It's really great news."

Esme rushed the kids to the couch so they could sit between us. She held Cynthia in her lap and put her other arm around Alice's shoulder. "I'm pregnant."

"What?!" both Alice and Emmett exclaimed.

"What's that?" Cynthia asked.

Esme smoothed her hands over her belly. "I'm having a baby."

"A baby's in there?" Cynthia was still confused. "Why is a baby in your tummy? It's not a cookie."

We chuckled lightly and Esme tugged on Cynthia's pigtails. "Sweetie, you're gonna have a little brother or sister in nine months. You're gonna be a big sister!"

"Yeah, and so am I! Emmett's gonna be a big brother, like he has been for the past five years. Isn't that great, Cynthia?" Alice poked her baby sister's belly.

"Yay!" Cynthia clapped her little hands. "I'm gonna be a big girl!"

"Yes, you are! So, guys, help me pick out names. Dad and I chose Lydia Grace or Oliver Benjamin...what do you think?"

"I like those names! I mean, I've never heard of someone named Lydia...but that name sounds so much like a young girl from the early nineteen-hundreds. Like she's a free spirit and she wants to spread her wings and fly. Lydia Grace...freedom and charm. And Oliver...sounds really handsome for a boy. But Mom, I have a strong feeling you'll get a girl." Alice hugged Esme around the waist.

"Yeah, you're strange like that," Emmett muttered. "Well, that's okay...I've got Dad! I think any name you guys choose is fine."

Cynthia didn't really understand what we were talking about and she was fine with anything. She ran off to play with her dolls.

"Thanks, guys," Esme told them sincerely. "How was the county fair?"

"Oh, it was fun! We went on so many rides it wasn't even funny!" Emmett answered her.

"Yeah, and we spoiled Cynthia! We bought her ice cream twice, since she asked!" Alice added on. "Well, she asked about five more times, but we told her no. She sulked until the tickle monster attacked her."

"Who's the tickle monster?" I asked.

"All four of us," Emmett laughed. "We make up a huge tickle monster."

Esme and I both snickered.

"We were just sitting down to watch a movie, do you want to watch one with us?" Esme asked.

"Oh, sure, what movie?" Alice asked.

"We don't know yet..." I turned on the television set and flipped through the channels. "Let's see what's on."

"_Lies in Plain Sight_? We're on Lifetime...Alice, Emmett, you may not be old enough to watch this movie," Esme worried.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Come on, Mom! I'm sixteen, and we're with you guys! Ali doesn't get nightmares either!"

Esme sighed. "If there's any inappropriate parts, I'm covering your eyes."

As we watched the movie, I realized how much it related to Esme's past. She wasn't blind, but like the girl in the movie, she was raped by a male relative. Esme was just staring at the screen with no emotion on her face. When the movie ended, she was still shell-shocked.

"Esme..." I started.

"Mom..." Alice grabbed her hand. "Mom, talk to us!"

"I can't do this anymore." She got up and walked over to sit on the ottoman across from us.

"What? What's wrong?" Emmett asked.

"I can't keep it a secret any longer. You're old enough to know...Carlisle, help me out here!"

"Esme, they don't even know what happened to us. They don't even know what rape means. It was repeated in the movie, but they don't know what it means." I joined Esme on the ottoman and put my arms around her shoulders.

"Oh, I know what rape means," Emmett stated coldly. "I've heard it enough times in school, and so has Alice. She goes to school with me, remember?"

"It means forcing someone to engage in unwanted sexual behavior," Alice said angrily. "Are you hiding something from your children?"

"Your dad's right, it's nothing...forget I even brought it up." Esme buried her face in her hands and I massaged her back.

"Esme, no, I was wrong. If you want, I can tell them my story first."

"Alright," she grumbled. "Go ahead."

"My mom molested me...and Emmett...your mother is dead. Both women are the same person. I killed her for what she did to me, and I killed my father for not taking my side. They were in jail for my mother molesting me and my father beating me, but I committed murder."

"What!?" Emmett burst out so loud that both Esme and Alice got startled. "You mean to tell me that...we have the same mother?"

I nodded.

"What the fuck? Is this your idea of a joke? Because it's pretty sick!"

"I don't joke about rape, son."

Alice bit her lip and looked between the two of us while Esme just gazed at the ground with unshed tears in her eyes.

Emmett slammed his fist into the wall and fell to his knees. "I can't believe this..."

"Do you guys remember Mr. Evenson?" Esme asked in a shaky voice.

"Yes..." our kids mumbled together.

"I knew him as Uncle Charles. He tried killing my mom when I was five, and my dad died in the war when I was two...and Renee was my babysitter. That man abused me. Alice, you are my daughter, but Charles is your blood father. He's dead now, since I ran him over with a car...and Cynthia is also my daughter. Her biological father is unknown, since I was sexually assaulted by Charles and his friends and put in a coma."

"So we're both inbreds?" Alice started to cry.

"Damn it! No wonder we can't get people to fall in love with us!" Emmett said sadly.

"It'll be hopeless to get Jasper now...I probably look like Charles!"

"And I'm huge like my whore of a grandma, or my mom!"

"Guys, you're nothing like those people. For the record, you look like your mom and I. Also, Lily was raped by her father, but if she hasn't told her kids, don't tell them yet. They're inbreds too, but they still resemble their mother, not their father...or grandpa," I reassured them.

"You keep this between the four of us, okay?" Esme asked.

"Of course..." Emmett stood up and hugged her. "Mom, please don't cry...the both of us are already crying!" He gestured towards Alice.

"We're so messed up...look at us..." Esme sobbed. "This is all my fault...Emmett...I want to let you know...that I will never touch you like Carlisle's mother touched him. Never. I only belong to your father, nobody else."

"I know, Mom."

Alice suddenly stood up. "I have to go to bed. Excuse me." She stormed out of the room and ran upstairs.

Emmett hugged Esme and I decided to go comfort Alice. Loud screaming was heard, so I rushed up the stairs and opened the door to Alice's room.

"Please help me! Oh, god, please help me! He's after me!" I heard Alice crying along with Cynthia.

"Sissy, I had a bad dream too! There was a mean man chasing us!"

"I'll protect you! It's me he wants, not you!"

"No, Ali..."

I tried to find a light-switch in the dark room, and when I found one, the room flooded with light. Alice was holding Cynthia and they were both sitting on her bed, tucked in the blankets. Cynthia threw a rag doll at my face, but I caught it easily. "Girls...I'm not _him_. Whoever you saw in your heads, I am not evil. I'm Carlisle, your mother's loving husband. I see you girls as my daughters, okay?"

Alice shook her head. "I know. I just broke down...I knew someone hurt my mom...and I knew Charles hurt her...but I never knew he..." She covered her mouth and tears spilled out of her eyes like a waterfall.

I sat on the side of her bed and hugged her until she stopped crying. Cynthia held onto Alice's waist.

"Alice, he's gone now. He can never hurt anyone again."

"I just can't...imagine...someone doing that...to...someone I love! No wonder we're eighteen years apart!"

Cynthia believed I was safe, so she scampered out of Alice's room for her nap.

"Yeah...I didn't like learning that she went through it either..."

"It's so horrible, Dad!" she wailed. "It's monstrous and disgusting! I hate that asshole so much! I just wanna..." Alice let out a huge scream. "Oh, wow, that felt a little better. Anyone who tries to hurt my family..._ever_ again...well, they'll be seriously sorry! I'm sure Emmett feels the same way!"

"Why don't you talk to him about it?"

"Okay...Dad, I appreciate you treating me like your own daughter...I love you."

"I love you too, Alice." I kissed the top of her head. "Ready to go downstairs to hang out with your mom and Emmett, kiddo?"

"Yeah. It's just that this is a lot to take in...I'm only twelve."

"I know."

She held her knees to her chest and broke eye contact with me. "What if...what if James and Victoria come back and try to take me away...from you and Mom?" Alice's voice cracked. "I don't want it to happen. I love this family. I'm a Cullen. I'm not a Brandon. I never was. They _kidnapped_ me! They took me away from my own mother and she had no idea! I can't believe it took a nightmare from my past for me to realize that!"

"Oh, Ali...unfortunately, babies do get kidnapped or accidentally swapped. The Brandons won't ever touch you again. You belong with us, okay? We are your real parents. Those other people are far, far away. It wasn't your fault that you didn't know. It was very smart of you to figure out that they weren't related to you, though."

"Thanks...but...I didn't know my mom for six and a half years! I really thought I was cursed until I met my teacher, who turned out to be my mom! Now, I feel blessed to be in this family. Her as my mom, you as my dad, Emmett as my brother, and Cynthia as my sister. God _does _make miracles happen."

"He does. We're so happy to have you as our daughter."

Alice jumped off the bed. "Me too. So about Charles and your mom...why did you want us to know so badly?" she asked while I guided her down the stairs.

"The movie sparked past memories in Esme, and myself as well...and we felt that you two were ready to learn about what we had to go through. At least you understand what happened to us. We knew you wouldn't take it well, but better we tell you now then later."

"Let's just keep all this incest stuff buried, along with the dead pedophiles." Alice grinned up at me.

"I agree."

"At least I'll have a story to tell! I've just told Jasper and Rosalie. They're so glad I'm with you and Mom now."

Alice hugged my waist and ran to join her mom on the ottoman. I clapped Emmett on the back when he was in the kitchen alone, and we faced each other for a few seconds.

"Esme is an awesome mom. Never let her go, Dad."

"You know, you don't have to call her Esme. She's been your mom for five years."

Emmett seemed like he was back to his cheerful self, like Alice was. "Right. I can't be more happy about that. I'm glad she's finally bearing your child, though. Finally, you get someone from both of you."

Esme came into the kitchen while she was linking arms with Alice. "Emmett, no matter what, Carlisle and I consider you, Alice, and Cynthia _our _children. The five of us, are not bonded by blood. We act like a family because we _are_ one. I never want either of you to forget that."

"We won't," Alice said and leaned her head on Esme's shoulder. "Love you, Mom." She kissed her cheek.

"I love you too, baby."

Over the months, we grew even closer as a family. Now that our kids knew about our pasts, they were really protective of us. For example, when some kid at Forks High School mentioned that Esme was hot, they made sure the kid couldn't walk for weeks, and whenever an older woman looked at me the wrong way, both Emmett and Alice gave her an icy glare. We knew they were being sweet, but once Emmett got sent to the principal's office for fighting, I had to give him a lecture.

"Emmett, why were you fighting in school? You're there to learn, hang out with friends, and play sports, not create drama. You could be arrested for fighting, do you understand me? I hope Royce's father didn't press charges."

"Dad, he was talking to his buddies in the locker room about how he thought Rose was such a prude for not giving him any, and he also said he was gonna have sex with her himself. After he said that, he made this speech about how Mom was so angelic looking and Lily would be a better fuck than her daughter! For Christ sakes, what else am I supposed to do? I socked that asshole in the mouth! His friends defended him, but I punched them in their stupid, laughing faces."

I just sat there and listened to him rant.

"I love Rosalie so much it hurts! She's my best friend, but I want her to be my lover. We have the perfect connection and goddamn it, she doesn't know it! She's with Royce because she thinks he's all nice and handsome...what, I'm not? I play football, for fuck's sake! Royce wrestles people to the ground like a bully, just like he was in elementary school! I want to take her away from the heartbreaker! She loves him. She loves him, and it's fucking not fair. Royce is also not allowed to talk about how he would bang his _girlfriend's mother_ and _my mother_, along with his girlfriend, who he doesn't even love!"_  
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"Then you either stick up for her with your words or report that to the principal. Those are just words Royce is saying. What he actually does is more important. I'll keep Esme away from him and warn Lily about him. Your job is to be Rosalie's bodyguard, like I was Esme's. Does Royce keep her away from you?"

"She doesn't tell him we're friends...she lives a double life. I want her to dump him on his ass, Dad, but I think she's too scared to! I can see it in her eyes. That asshole controls her like she's a video game. I saw them get in an argument once...he grabbed her and started yelling at her so much that she cowered against a wall. Then, when she began to cry and beg for him to stop, he calmed down and bought her expensive jewelry as an apology gift. I fucking hate Royce King!" He punched the wall.

The principal heard every word. "Mr. Cullen."

"Yes?" we both answered.

"Emmett."

"What is it, Mr. Greene?" Emmett asked politely as possible.

"You're excused. I'll have a talk with Mr. King."

"If he lays a hand on Rosalie-" Emmett began.

"Sexual harassment is strictly prohibited at this school and I will make sure Mr. King gets the proper punishment if he doesn't follow the rules. I'll let you go, just this once."

"Thank you so much. Thanks, Dad. Bye." He left the office, and I waved goodbye to Mr. Greene.

"Have a good day, sir."

"You too."

Jasper stopped me in the hallway. "Carlisle! Are you busy?"

"Oh, no, I'm not. What's going on, Jasper?"

"I...really don't know how to say this. Maria's really bugging me. Mom and Dad told me to just dump her, and I did, but she stalks me. She doesn't even let me be with my friends at school. The truth is...I've got a crush on your daughter."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Alice isn't dating! She's only a little girl!"

He laughed uncomfortably. "Sir, with all due respect, I am in love with her."

"I understand, but...she's barely a teenager!"

"Oh, I get it. Overprotective father."

"You two can go out, but don't jump into a romance right away. Alice is much too young to be kissing boys, even a nice guy like you."

"Yeah...I won't force her into anything. I know how to treat a lady."

"Good, then I won't have to pull out the shotgun," I joked. "You're the only boy who can be my daughter's future boyfriend. Anyone else, I don't trust."

"Yeah, me neither. Okay, see you."

"Bye."

"Hey..." Lily began when I returned to the hospital. "What's going on?"

"Hi, Carlisle, I wanted to surprise you with cupcakes." Esme appeared in front of me with a silver tin.

"Oh, thank you, sweetie." I kissed Esme on her pretty lips and passed the cupcakes around. "Emmett got in trouble for fighting at school."

The women quietly listened to me explain the whole story.

"So my daughter is dating someone who just wants to use her as his sex toy?" Lily asked, horrified.

"I don't want to be around this guy...he sounds creepy." Esme shuddered and moved closer to me.

I nodded. "That's what I got out of Emmett. Lily, I would ask Rosalie how Royce is to her. Esme, this is just a kid, but you tell me if he touches you, okay?"

"I always will," Esme promised me.

"I'll have some girl talk with Rosie tonight. She's my baby girl, and no matter what happens, I'll always protect her."

Later that night, Esme had a few fainting spells and when she puked in the toilet, I held her hair back from her face. She knelt down besides the toilet and groaned. "Oh, god..."

"It'll be okay, darling. I've got you."

"Not long now...Lydia's gonna be beautiful."

When we found out Esme was having a girl this past December, we were ecstatic. Now that it was April and her belly had grown so big that I had to help her do everything, we were ready to have this baby out of her. She was sore and tired, so I got the baby's stuff with Renee, Alice, Anne, and Lily. They assisted me in painting Lydia's room, too.

"I think the baby's coming...I feel the contractions..."

Esme screamed all the way to the hospital, and I texted Emmett to bring our kids so they could see their new little sister. I took tight hold of Esme's hand and we both ran into the maternity ward. "She's having a baby!" I yelled. A nurse wheeled out a chair right away and Esme plopped down in it with a harsh sigh.

The next time I saw Esme, I was encouraging her to push. She was crying, but still using all her strength to get that baby to come out. "Oh...it hurts...so bad..." she whimpered.

I squeezed Esme's hand. "You can do this. You're a tough woman. I love you."

The head, shoulders, and body came out while Esme screamed in pain. I kissed her forehead and then her mouth when she laid back on the pillows, panting and sweating.

"Thank you for being there for me, Carlisle."

"Anytime."

The nurses cleaned Lydia off and handed her to Esme.

"There she is. Meet Lydia Grace Cullen," I announced. "A miracle that you and I created."

"Hey, Lydia...I love you...I'm your mommy," Esme cooed softly.

I bent down to whisper to our baby, "And I'm your daddy."

Emmett, Alice, and Cynthia came into the room so they could hold their newborn baby sister.

"Dad, she has your eyes..." Emmett trailed off.

"And she has Mom's curly caramel hair!" Alice said cheerfully.

"Pretty baby!" Cynthia said in jubliation.

Lydia Grace Cullen was born on a warm April evening. She was sixteen inches long and weighed seven and a half pounds. She had my eyes and Esme's hair. She was our sixth member of our already large family, and we couldn't have been happier.

**Sadly, this is the second to last chapter of this story because it's run its course and now it's just about finished****. I posted a lemony outtake as a separate story and it's called Amazing. ****Thank you so much to readers and reviewers K.K. Fush, EsmeJoyCullenDrescher, that kiwi chick****, ****TeamCarlisleandEsme8, ****TeamCullenx, ****Caresme'sChild, ****Just4Me! ****  
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	40. Epilogue:Ready

**K.K. Fush is the best beta in the world. Your argument is invalid :D**

Esme POV:

Being a mom to a newborn baby, a child almost in kindergarten, a pubescent teenager, and a junior who was already getting senioritis was hard work but it was fun all the same. Carlisle and I were given the four most precious gifts in the whole wide world and we wouldn't give them up for anything. I was relaxing after a long night at the hospital and as I held baby Lydia in my arms, Carlisle massaged my shoulders, neck, and back.

"Ah, that feels good..." I sighed as his hands went under my shirt and released tension from my back muscles. "I am a new mother once again."

"I'm guessing you must be pretty used to it by now," he laughed.

"Yes, yes...but can we hold off on that until after Emmett's in college? Having babies is very painful."

"I know. We'll use condoms until then." He kissed my cheek and held out his arms. "Can I hold my daughter?"

"Oh, sure!" I handed him Lydia and laid on his lap as he held her. "Hi, sweetie, you like being with Daddy?"

Lydia babbled and I kissed her forehead.

"I'm assuming that was a yes. Are you going to go on maternity leave?"

"I don't need to, as Mom's taking care of her while I'm teaching. Can you believe Emmett's already applying for colleges?"

"God, he's getting old. Alice will be thirteen soon."

"Liking boys, going to dances, putting on makeup, maxing out credit cards..."

"No!" Carlisle looked scared.

I rolled my eyes. "She's a girl...she's going to be a young woman someday...and I have got to give her the talk! I'm going to give it to her right now," I decided and left the room. Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket, so I took it out and answered it. "Hello?"

"Esme, it's Lily...is Rosalie there? She's not picking up her phone and she didn't come home after school. Oh my god, I'm so worried!"

"No, she's not here. Did you try calling Royce's phone? Maybe she's at his house."

"I tried Royce. I tried all of her friends. I'm about to call the cops!" Her voice was shaking and my heart went out to her.

"Okay, I'll ask my kids if they saw her at school today." I walked into Emmett's room. "It's Lily. Rosalie's missing. When did you last see her?"

"Rosalie's missing?" Emmett roared. "The last person she was with...I saw her with Royce."

"He didn't answer his phone when Lily called his house."

"Tell her to call Charlie. The asshole is probably having his way with her," he fumed.

I nodded. "Okay, Lily, Emmett just told me that she might be at Royce's house and being forced into having sex with him. He's eighteen, so you should definitely call the cops, preferably Charlie. Adults who rape minors should be put behind bars," I stated angrily.

"I don't know why I let her go out with him in the first place. He seemed really nice when I met him..."

"Many bastards are the friendliest people you'll ever meet, at first. Then their true colors start to show."

"Yeah, I'll call Charlie now. Thanks, Ez. Bye."

"Goodbye."

I held my head in my hands for about five minutes and cried in the hallway until Carlisle announced he had to go to the hospital again. "Esme, do you want to come with me?"

"I should stay and take care of the children...I think Emmett would love to go and see her." I picked up Lydia from the bed.

"Wait, it's about Rosalie?"

"Yeah, Lily told me she was missing and Emmett guessed that Royce raped her."

"Why do I have deja vu?"

"I just hope she wasn't...gang raped...like I was."

"Me neither. I better get going. Emmett!"

"Coming, Dad! When I get my hands on him, he'll be black, blue, and in a wheelchair forever!"

The door closed after they ran down the stairs and left.

"Where did they go, Mama?" Cynthia asked me when I went to her room.

"Daddy had an emergency at the hospital, and he wanted Emmett to go with him," I signed.

"Ohhh!" She climbed up on her bed with one of her Barbies in her hand. "Wanna play with me?"

"It's two hours past your bedtime, young lady. We'll play tomorrow, okay?"

She pouted. "But I got a new sissy! Party, party, yay!"

I chuckled. "I let you stay up long enough. Say goodnight to your dollies."

"Bye, Barbie! Bye Ken! Bye Stacy! Bye Kelly!" She kissed all her dolls on their heads and then she tickled Lydia. "Night, sissy."

Lydia giggled. I scooped Cynthia up and tucked her in bed. "Good night, sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow." I kissed her cheek and ran my fingers through her hair.

"Night, Mama!" She held up the sign for "I love you", and I did it right back to her.

"Come on, Lydia, let's say hi to Alice, shall we?" I walked into Alice's room just when she was on her iPod and dancing. When she saw me, she paused and pulled out her earphones.

"Mom...did something happen to Rosalie? Emmett sounded pretty upset."

"Rosalie had to go to the hospital. Dad's assuming Royce hurt her since she never returned from school."

Alice hugged me and I felt her shudder. "She's my best girl friend. I hope she'll be okay."

"I'm sure she will. So, are you doing anything for your thirteenth birthday party?" I asked.

"I want to have my first boy-girl party."

"Honey, you had one when you were seven."

"Yeah, but this time, I want us to play Spin the Bottle. I really hope I get Jasper. He told me he finally broke up with Maria."

"Spin the Bottle? But that's so random...and thirteen is too young to get your first kiss."

"Mom, Juliet got her first kiss at thirteen."

"Yeah, and she and Romeo ended up doing it. Their relationship lasted for three days and then they killed themselves. That's not much of a love story. It's about how bad timing can be fatal."

"Well, Jasper and I aren't going to be...doing it. I just want him to kiss me."

"I know, baby. We can talk more about this tomorrow. I'm thinking of having a girls' day with Renee, Lily, you, and their daughters, and giving you a lesson on the birds and the bees."

Alice sat on her bed. "Sounds cool. Can I hold Lydia?"

"Of course."

The door opened and then shut. Alice cradled Lydia in her arms. Carlisle went in the room we were in.

"Hi sweetheart," he greeted me and kissed me. His lips left mine and then he hugged Alice and Lydia hello.

"Hi! Where's Emmett? How's Rosalie?" I wondered aloud.

"Emmett's sleeping over there tonight. She wasn't raped, but Royce punched her in the face. She's got a black eye, and before he could do anything else, she kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious. Charlie arrested him for attempted sexual assault and battery on a minor."

"Oh, thank god. Poor Rosalie, though," I murmured.

"What? Royce hit Rose?" Alice asked worriedly.

"Yes. She cried in Emmett's arms for a while and begged him not to leave her, so he didn't."

"Aw, I'm glad my brother's taking care of her. That's so sweet of him. I hope he gives Royce a good beating!"

"They actually fought in school today, Alice. Royce was only unconscious for an hour, and then Emmett demanded to speak to him. When Royce said, 'what's up', Emmett gave him two black eyes, a split lip, a bloody nose, and multiple bruises."

Alice burst out laughing. I simply said, "Wow."

"He really loves her," Carlisle pointed out. "Anyway, we've got early wake-ups tomorrow, and we should go to sleep." He hugged Alice good night and kissed her forehead. Alice got into bed and blew us both kisses. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek.

"Oh, good night, Lydia!" Alice gave me her sister. Carlisle and I left her room and went to our own. After we kissed our baby on both cheeks, I put Lydia into her crib as Carlisle got into bed. I hummed her a lullaby and joined Carlisle.

"What a day," I sighed.

"First Emmett getting busted for fighting, then you giving birth, and now this..."

"Welcome to parenthood!"

"Just know that at the end of every day, I go to sleep with a smile because you're curled up next to me."

I grinned while he held me. "Yeah, no matter what we go through, we'll always be together."

"So, tell me, when we first kissed, what was going through your mind?" I felt him playing with my hair and I giggled with my eyes half closed.

"Hmm...he's a hell of a good kisser!"

"Thanks! You know what was running through my head when we had our first sexual encounter?"

"What?"

"She's got an amazing body."

I laughed. "Well, thank you."

"I love you, Esme. Good night."

"You too, Carlisle."

The next day was busy, though not as busy as yesterday. Renee and Lily agreed to meet me at a quiet park where we could talk to our daughters and I could take my youngest daughters out for a walk with them in their strollers. Alice pushed Cynthia in her stroller, and I pushed a stroller that held my infant.

Rosalie had sunglasses over her eyes and she was standing very close to Lily near some trees. Elizabeth and Renee were sitting on a bench next to the trees. I waved at them. "Hey, girls!"

"Hi! Elizabeth got all giggly when I told her about this, so she'll be blushing this whole time," Renee informed me while giving me a hug.

"Yeah, she knows her mother. Are you going to start?"

"Mm-hm! I'll be embarrassing my daughter at the same time."

"Aw, Mom!" Elizabeth whined.

"Sorry, honey, but this is necessary."

"Oh my gosh, your little sisters are so adorable!" Rosalie squealed at Alice. She came over to us and tickled them both. The girls got a lot of attention from my friends and Elizabeth as well.

"Thanks, Rosie."

"You're welcome. I don't know why I have to do this. Boyfriends hurt you. They give you this." She lifted her sunglasses up and over her head so we could see the damage. Everyone gasped and Lily put her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"Not all of them do, Rose. Your brother and Emmett are both gentlemen."

"Yeah, and this talk is about how to get a good guy to fall in love with you. Royce liked you because you're extremely beautiful and sexy. You've got a body to die for. My brother likes you because of your personality."

Rosalie's eyes sparkled with happiness and she blushed. "He does?"

"Of course he does. He also thinks you're hot, but who doesn't? You guys are a perfect match."

"Oh my god, stop it, he deserves someone better. Like you."

"Eewww! He's my brother!"

"I don't mean you! I mean someone like you...like Elizabeth. She's sweet and charming, and so are you!"

"Rosalie...don't put yourself down."

"I like Peter. Emmett's a brother to me," Elizabeth piped up.

"Alright, girls, enough chit-chat!" Renee scolded them. "We'll be taking turns with our lesson. Now, the first thing you need to know about puberty is that you will grow breasts and get your period. Elizabeth got them last year, but she's not on her period yet."

Elizabeth blushed.

"Dude, you are so lucky. I look like a stick!" Alice complained.

"Trust me, it's not lucky. I don't like having a woman's body at this moment. Idiots just wanna grab 'em and squeeze the life out of them!" Rosalie hissed.

"That's true. Esme will explain to you about your period and then I will tell you how to say no to boys who try stupid shit like that," Lily said to her daughter.

"Oh! So, periods aren't the best thing in the world, okay? When you get your period, blood flows out of your vagina and the cramps are painful. You'll need to take Advil to relieve the pain. Otherwise, you'll be rolling around on the floor and feeling like you have a fever. You'll soon have to buy pads and tampons, and it comes once a month. It lasts for three to seven days. The only time when you don't have a period is when you're pregnant."

"Ohhh," the girls said at the same time with displeasure.

"I know. I hated when I had my first period. Now that I've mentioned pregnancy, Lily, why don't you tell us how pregnancy happens?"

"Okay, Ez. You girls know that a man and a woman have to have sex to get pregnant. The sperm from the guy, and the egg from the girl combine to make a baby...but many guys want one thing from a girl, and that is sex. They're not mature enough to realize that the girl will be a mother when she may not be ready yet since she's still in school. You can get pregnant once you start your period and his penis goes into your vagina. You've got to learn how to say no to your boyfriend when any of you gets one, and he asks for sex. Explain to him why you don't want to have sex. It feels amazing, but you're not ready for a baby. Some people have sex using a condom and they're ninety-nine percent effective. You can also take birth control pills to prevent pregnancy."

They nodded in understanding, and raised their hands. I pointed at Alice. "You have a question?"

They all started talking at once.

"What's foreplay?"

"What's a bj?"

"What did it mean when Royce wanted to eat me out? It sounded gross."

"It sounded like Royce and his friends wanted to play baseball. They were talking about first base, second base, third base, and home. But then they were laughing, and I don't think baseball is all that funny."

"Why did I get wet when Peter held my hand one time? It felt like I was gonna pee!"

"Whoa, whoa, one at a time!" I held my hands up and took a deep breath. "Okay, foreplay is making out and touching each other's privates. Making out, or french kissing, is roaming around each other's mouths with your tongue. You can practice that on a pillow or your hand, but usually, a girl's first kiss would be a small peck on the lips. A bj is the abbreviation for blowjob. It's when a girl sucks a guy's penis with her mouth. Eating a girl out is when a guy licks and sucks on her vagina. First base is kissing. Second base is touching each other's sacred areas over or under the shirt. Third base is oral sex, or massaging the genitals. Home is sex, where the penis goes inside the vagina. Girls get wet inside their vagina to prepare for sex. The penis gets hard. This is because both partners are sexually excited. It can happen when you merely hold hands with someone you like. You girls get it?"

Their innocent eyes widened as they took in all that knowledge.

"Wow, that's pretty cool!" Alice said.

"Yeah, I'm totally gonna practice on my hand!" Elizabeth put in.

"Sooo, Esme...what do you and Carlisle do when you think nobody's watching?" Rosalie asked with a smirk.

I felt myself blush. "We kiss...a lot...and other stuff...I'm not giving you any details!"

"Thank you!" Alice said with a sigh of relief.

"Can I tell you girls a story?" I asked. They smiled, so I took it as a yes. "Love can be confusing at times. Boys can play with your heart, but there's a way to know if he's a keeper. I was in a really rough spot about five years ago, and my husband helped me through it. He stayed with me, even when I was a bitch to him. He appreciates every part of me and he believed in me. He loves me without makeup on. He wasn't afraid to hold my hand in public and introduce me as his girlfriend to his friends. We had a few problems, but we worked through them. For example, he asked me to marry him when I wasn't ready. I said no, and he ran. That was when I realized I loved him unconditionally. He never gave up on me. Renee got him to come back, but when he did, he invited me to a bar with him. I rejected his invitation, so he went there alone and had a drunken hookup. The next day, he felt terribly guilty about it, especially since I was taking care of him while he was hungover from drinking alcohol so much. The hooker, Tammy, didn't ruin our relationship. She made it stronger and she made us both wake up to the fact that we were in love with each other. I still beat her up, though."

"Oh, wow! Hey Mom, we've got a song for you." Alice smiled at her friends and they started to sing.

"Brick wall, waterfall, Tammy thinks she's got it all, but she don't, and I do, so boom with that attitude. Peace, punch, Captain Crunch, I got something you can't touch. Bang bang, choo choo train, wind me up, I'll do my thing, no Reese's Pieces, seven up, mess with me, I'll mess you up!"

We ladies laughed and clapped for them.

"Thanks," they said with a giggle.

Carlisle and I hosted Alice's thirteenth birthday. The kids played Spin the Bottle, and Alice was shocked that the bottle pointed straight to Jasper. They shared a short but sweet kiss, and I couldn't be happier for my little girl. She was finally growing up.

I bought her her first bra and a makeup set for her birthday. Emmett was taking her, Rosalie, Jasper, Elizabeth, and Peter to his junior prom, and Alice wanted to look at least fourteen or fifteen. I let her get her ears pierced, just like Rosalie's and Elizabeth's were. She went with me to the mall for her dress right after she got crystal studs in her ears.

"Mom, I want to change my hair, too."

I chuckled and played with some of her stomach-length hair. "You're going for an extreme makeover today, huh?"

"Oh, yes. I'd like my hair to be to my chin and my bangs side-swept. I'll look like a fashion model and blow everyone away."

"Okay, well, after we get your dress, I'll take you to my hair salon."

"Yay! Oh, can you get me a push-up bra? I don't have big enough boobs for any of these dresses!"

"We're in the women's section. Come on, let's go to the juniors."

"Isn't that for kids?"

"No, it's for young teens, such as yourself." I led her to the department and she started sifting through different colorful dresses.

"Oh my god, this is perfect!" Alice exclaimed and held up a hot-pink strapless dress. "Rosalie's wearing sky-blue, Elizabeth's wearing violet purple, and we'll look kind of like a rainbow!" She spun around with the dress in her hands. "Can I try it on? Can I?"

"Of course you can, sweetheart. Into the dressing room we go."

Since her chest wasn't large enough to fill the cups inside the dress, my seamstress fixed it. She was pleased that it fit her. Her new hairstyle was cute as well and her crystal earrings matched everything just fine. She got silver heels that were only an inch high, and accessories to go with her dress.

On her big night, I did her nails and her makeup. Rosalie and Elizabeth helped her into her dress first.

There was a fitting song playing as she prepared for the prom.

_...Time to be your only one_

_To almost be you're way too young_

_Time to crash into the sun_

_Time to be your 21_

_Time to dream that love will last_

_Time to drive my car too fast_

_Time to walk before I run _

_Time to be_

_Ohh time to be your 21..._

She was gorgeous and I just had to take a picture. I took dozens of pictures of the girls being silly, each girl with her guy, the guys all together, and us Cullens as a family. I helped her with her corsage while Carlisle fixed Emmett's boutonniere on his tux. I couldn't believe that Emmett was almost as tall as my husband. Alice was nearly my height, which was expected.

"Bye, have a nice time!" I called out.

"Take pictures!" Carlisle added."

"Thanks, we will!" Alice shouted back to us.

When Alice and Emmett left, Carlisle and I stood hand in hand by the window. "Well, they're officially high-schoolers," I sighed.

"Didn't they go to homecoming?"

"Yeah, but everyone goes to homecoming. Prom is like, a rite of passage. Did you ever go to your prom?"

Carlisle shook his head. "I was in med school when I was a junior in high school."

"I never went to mine either. I'm a little jealous of our teenagers."

"Why don't we have a little prom of our own?"

I looked up at him curiously. "How would we do that? Too late to sign up as chaperones."

"We can just dress up in formal wear, and I'll play romantic music, which we can dance to."

I grinned. "That sounds wonderful."

He took me upstairs. We showered together and picked out each other's outfits. I dressed in my purple evening gown, and he wore a suit with a purple tie that matched my dress. I straightened my hair and put in dangling silver earrings. He combed his hair and shaved. I took a razor to my underarms and my legs. While he got dressed, I put on my makeup and my gown. We made tissue paper corsages and boutonnieres. Then, it was time for our dance.

Carlisle ran down the stairs and waited for me as I glided from the top to the bottom. He picked me up and spun me around in his arms. I laughed loudly.

"Would you dance with me, miss?"

I curtsied. "I would love to, sir."

He led me to the living room and turned on a slow melody. We moved with the music and he dipped me a few times. "I should have met you a long time ago."

"I was in Ohio until I was twenty-one."

"I wish you were here when you were five."

"Me too," I murmured against his shoulder."

_...Just a shot in the dark that you just might_

_Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life_

_So baby, I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight..._

"I would have asked you to dance at our middle school dance. I would have kissed you when we were in high school. I would have loved you as much as I do now."

_...I know that if we give this a little time_

_It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find_

_It's never felt so real, no, it's never felt so right_

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_

_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright..._

I felt a lump in my throat. "Carlisle, you really know how to make a girl cry and ruin her makeup."

"Please, don't cry. We're together now." He lifted my chin and kissed me softly.

"I know, but...in middle school...you would have been scared of me."

"The only thing I'm afraid of is losing you."

"You won't lose me."

I laid my head on his shoulder and he stroked my hair as the music continued to play to the next song.

_...It's only half past the point of no return_

_The tip of the iceberg_

_The sun before the burn_

_The thunder before the lightning_

_The breath before the phrase_

_Have you ever felt this way?_

"I love this song, as well as the last one. It reminds me of our love," I commented.

"I do too, baby. I do, too."

_...It's only half past the point of oblivion_

_The hourglass on the table_

_The walk before the run_

_The breath before the kiss_

_And the fear before the flames_

_Have you ever felt this way?_

After about an hour or two of dancing, we drank wine and sat down to watch a movie, but all we really did was kiss until Alice and Emmett came home. They talked about the prom for a while, and then we told them about our own prom.

"I can't believe Jasper danced with me!" Alice cried and put her hand on her heart. "It was just as friends, but still! His arms were around my waist!"

"I hope his hands didn't go anyplace else!" my husband said.

She rolled her eyes. "Dad...Jasper wouldn't do anything. His mother taught him better than that!"

"I made Rosalie's cheeks go red a lot tonight." Emmett smirked. "I think my best girl friend has the hots for me!"

"Well, good, I'm glad you guys had a lovely time." I hugged them both.

A year later, more milestones had passed. Cynthia was in kindergarten and Lydia had gone from babbling to saying a few words. As for Emmett and Alice, they were going to a fancy restaurant with their friends and then a movie.

Carlisle clapped Emmett on the back. "You keep your friends safe. No getting your Jeep or them into an accident, you got that, son?"

Emmett nodded. They were about to get Rosalie, Jasper, Peter, and Elizabeth for their triple date. When they were halfway out the door, I ran up to Alice with little Lydia in my arms. "You remember what I told you if a boy does something to you you don't like?"

"Yes, Mom! Just say no! Now bye, you guys!"

"We love you!" Emmett shouted out.

Carlisle and I kissed and hugged our oldest children.

"We always will love you! Have fun! Lydia, you make sure they behave!" Alice said and kissed Lydia's cheek. Cynthia ran up to us. "And you too, Cynthia!" Alice made the "I love you" hand sign. Lydia cooed. Cynthia giggled. We all laughed and kissed our baby girls.

The door shut and we looked at each other.

"They're growing up so fast," Carlisle pointed out.

"That's okay." I slipped my hand in his. "Let's go play with our remaining little girls."

"Remember when Lydia first rolled over?"

"Yeah, she was on the counter. Oh god, I was so frightened! I'm glad I caught her just in time."

"And then when she started crawling, getting into things, putting things in her mouth, and walking?"

"That was a nightmare. We had to baby-proof our whole house!"

"It's still like that. Having a baby is fun, though."

"Her first word was 'Mama' and then when you came home, I screamed at you about it. I was so happy. When she saw you, she said 'Dada'."

"I know. I was so honored."

"I bet. Oh, and Cynthia going to kindergarten...I wouldn't let her go. They had to pry her off me and hand me some tissues," I laughed.

"I remember taking care of you after that."

We walked up the stairs together and kissed for a long moment when nobody was watching us.

"I love you," I whispered for the first time ever without him saying it first. I was so surprised at myself. This was huge. It probably meant I was ready to face the world.

"Can you say that again?" he asked.

"I love you," I repeated. "I love you!" I screamed and burst out into a fit of giggles.

"I love you too, sweetheart. You're here in my heart emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and you'll be there forever."

I laughed again. "And I'm here in your arms physically."

Carlisle held me closer and I said ever so casually, "Hey babe, the children are going down for their naps soon and it's not dinner time yet..."

He got what I was trying to say. "I know, my dear. We can do whatever we want."

"Oh, honey, I love you! My superstar..." My eyes were probably glazing over by now, but who the hell cared? I was feeling very flirty.

"You're getting sexy with that lustful look in your eyes. Let's put the girls to sleep early." Carlisle winked at me.

I squealed and he covered my mouth. "Shh, not so loud, darling."

"Ooops, my bad."

"Don't give me that innocent look, you know it drives me crazy!"

I giggled mischievously while tickling the baby girl in my lap. I picked up my daughter that I had with Carlisle and completely out of pure love, put her in her crib, and hummed a lullaby to get Lydia asleep. Carlisle groaned since he got cockblocked, so I smirked. He scooped up Cynthia and put her into her big girl bed. The little girl jumped up and down a few times and kissed her mommy and daddy good night. We closed our youngest daughters' bedroom door and went to our own bed for some love making.

And damn, it felt so good!

**I'd like to thank K.K. Fush for being such an awesome beta. You've pulled me out of a lot of rough patches, periods of writers block, and times when I've just wanted to just give up and work on other plot bunnies. But because of the amazing support from all of you, I've been able to write this whole story without any distractions. And believe you me, my other favorite fandom Pretty Little Liars is quite a distraction ;D So thank you K.K. Fush, Just4Me, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, that kiwi chick, TeamCullenx, Caresme'sChild, MrsCarlisleCullen13, and all others who have read or added this story to alerts and favorites!**

**I love you all. I really do. I'm almost to 400 reviews and I'm about to cry from extreme happiness. This story has been so much fun to write and I'm glad you guys enjoyed it!**


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